Naruto: The Village Doused In Rain
by UchihaEna
Summary: The Uchiha clan perished long ago, and everyone knows that the sole surviver was Uchiha Sasuke... or was he? Who knows... But during an obscure A-ranked mission, dark secrets shall be revealed! Rated T for language and violence. Contains OCs.
1. Relentless Nights:Ninja in the Moonlight

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll One: "Relentless Nights: Ninja in the Moonlight...!"

The sky looked obscurely dark, however it was not cold. The wavering breeze was luke warm and rustled the leaves in the forest. Swift footsteps jumped through various branches and softly landed on the damp soil with a tap.

The person, a female Shinobi, or Kunoichi, hooked up a radio device to an ear piece and spoke into it. "Destination reached. Area infiltration requested."

"Proceed," replied a blurred voice from the technological device.

Packing it away the Kunoichi in turn pulled out a black bandana and tied her jet black hair back with it. She carefully inserted a Kunai knife in her mouth and rapidly dashed off again.

Her destination was a small, abandoned-looking cottage that had relied on the thicket for protection and sensory. She approached the door cautiously and reconsidered her actions. 'I'd better go through the top.'

Hopping on to the patched roof, the Kunoichi performed several hand signs that allowed her to focus her chakra into her hands and then punch a hole through the brick tiled roof. She dropped down through her make-shift entrance and steadily held her ground. 'He's here'

From almost all sides shuriken flew in attempt to kill but the female Shinobi knew better and had produced an illusion, a doppelganger, to throw off her foe.

"What the hell?" gasped the victim, in shock. He had a blood lusting aura around him that matched the color of his eyes and hair- a frigid teal.

As he frantically raced around, searching for his intruder, a Kunai was placed under his neck and the owner's voice shot "I've been sent to exterminate you."

The captive Shinobi clenched his teeth together and slightly grinded his back molars. "Exterminate me? Ha! Who the hell are you to even have the guts to say that?

"Me?" smirked the Kunoichi digging the sharp edge into her prey's throat. "My name is Hatake Ena… and you'll be taking it to your grave" With that, his blood fell upon her hand and stained them with a glistening crimson color. The ninja's body fell to the floor impudently as if it were a stiff board.

Sighing, the Kunoichi headed out ready to report a successful hunt. Forthwith, as she proceeded through the limbs of the trees a figure was standing in the distance, blackened to a silhouette in the moonlight.

...

The red smears failed to scrub off of Ena's hands, so to withhold the events of last night, she slipped on a pair of leather gloves that belonged to her Uncle, Hatake Kakashi. Locking the door behind her, the Kunoichi trotted upon the rooftops of the Konoha village, anticipating a long afternoon of lectures and tests on the Shinobi code. On the way there, Ena viewed a blond spiky head down below and immediately noticed who it was. She jumped down from her spot and called, "Hey Uzumaki-kun!" Uzumaki Naruto, a.k.a the village idiot and all around class clown turned to face the black-haired Kunoichi and gave a goofy grin, "morning Ena! What's up?"

She closed her hazel-green eyes and smiled in recognition. "Not much. Just wondering if you wanted me to walk to school with you."

Naruto's face brightened up, "Yeah! That would be great! Thanks!"

'No problem Uzumaki-kun"

Only making a few tracks, the blond halted and asked, "out of everyone in the village how come you're so nice and polite to me, Ena?"

The female Shinobi thought it out for a bit, but then replied, "Because you're not a bad person, Uzumaki-kun. You may be arrogant and obnoxious at some points, but that doesn't cloud your strong sense of justice. Besides you're a good friend of mine!"

Naruto seemed somewhat flattered as he responded, "Really?! Wow! I've never thought of it like that before! I also didn't know you thought of me as a friend.

Ena sweatdropped, "how is that when I've been talking and hanging out with you since we were kids?"

Shaking off the awkward contemplations, the two Konoha village residents headed towards their school in silence. But there were truly no words to express their strong intimacy.

The unexpected questions and examinations were a complete blur, and yet, the day went by rather sluggishly. Ena slumped in her seat, which was as soft as granite, until her classmate, Okinawi Katone, pinched her side to make her sit up straight.

The black-haired Kunoichi glared at Katone who winked an amber eye and scratched the back of her auburn head.

A giggle sounded from behind, and it had emitted from another acquaintance of Ena's, preferably known as Tomoya Kiri, She had mousy qualities but was famously recognized for her long, dark brown hair that she kept constricted in a tight braid that rested along her back. The only thing that contradicted her frail image was her orange tinted eyes that shone with such resolve, that even the slightest glance would make the bravest man quiver.

During lunch Ena groaned as her two comrades continuously ranted about her un-removable leather gloves.

"It's not polite to eat with them on," Katone scowled, tugging at a loose thread and pulling it out.

Kiri nodded. "It's true Ena"

The hazel-eyed female Shinobi viciously bit into her warm bread roll, all the while ignoring her friend's requests. "Nobody is going to die if I leave my gloves on. Now back off will ya? You're going to give me an ulcer of something."

The two prodders sighed and Katone said, "I can only imagine what goes on in that head of yours. The rest is just a complete mystery to me, Ena."

Taking another bite out of her food, the killer Kunoichi paused for a brief moment as she thought 'Funny… sometimes I wonder that same thing." And as she looked off past her friend's shoulders a similar figure to the night before walked by but before it disappeared before Ena could even make out a single physical feature.

...

The location was a lake side, but the objective was the same: kill the target without causing chaos or stirring attention. As simple as it may sound, the task was actually pretty rigorous. Sometimes the victim let out a death howl that alarmed nearby citizens, or other times the victim would run through heavily populated areas and eventually caused some sort of disruption that involved innocent bystanders. You never knew what wrongs that could happen, so that's why you had to slay the prey quickly and unexpectedly. It was the way of the assassin- no, of the Shinobi.

The air was cold, so cold that Ena could see her every breath in tiny, little, white puffs. Forthwith, this was never a good omen- targets never seemed to die easily in the frigid weather. They held on to their lives as if they wanted to dig their graves on a spring morn. None withstanding, Ena didn't care- the victim **would** die in his favor or not.

Hearing voices in the distance, the Kunoichi quickly concealed herself within the darkened tree tops and waited for her prey to draw near…

"… Yeah, that last raid was a total bummer." Groaned one Shinobi

"…no kidding…could've made a fortune… poverty is just a big issue…" mumbled another, so low that Ena could not catch the whole statement.

Then came the tone of her target. "… You can say that again… hey, what's that noise?"

The female Shinobi swore under her breath- she had stepped upon a bent twig and snapped it in two with her foot. The three males were now alert and performing various jutsu to defend themselves.

"Come out!" cried their leader, who wore a mask with the template of a wolf. He sent three Kunai knives into the tree Ena had been in, but luckily she had rapidly leaped overhead, and prepared to unleash her ultimate jutsu…

When in five seconds flat, the trio of Shinobi fell to the ground like swapped flies. Baffled, the Kunoichi stood her ground and sensed a bloodthirsty, yet powerful presence. Having the reflex of looking upwards, Ena glimpses at what could have been the murderer of the three ninja- a black-haired male with piercing yellow eyes and a flowing cloak.

However, he had vanished into the shadows of the night and the female shinobi couldn't help that that was the figure she had viewed in the moonlight.

Disappointed that the thrill of the hunt was over, Ena started back towards the Konoha village, anticipating a long night of restless sleep.

...

The morning arrived lazily as rain clouds quickly shielded the sun's rays, and filled the atmosphere with humid, damp conditions. Luckily it was Sunday, so there was no murky trip to school for Ena today.

Peeking an eye at the clock, it was already close to noon.

'Maybe I can bring Uncle Kakashi some lunch,' thought the hazel-eyed Kunoichi.

She slithered out of bed and hastily associated herself with the proper clothing and right set of mind.

Heading into the kitchen, a note was pinned to the front door with a shuriken. I read:

Ena,

Don't bother to make

lunch for me. I'll

be out for most of

the day. Be back

around midnight.

-Kakashi

"Well, that threw off my whole day," sighed Ena as she tossed the message into the trash bin next to the sink. "What am I going to do now?"

And at that moment, just like an angel calling from the heavens, a voice outside shouted, "HELP!" and Ena rushed out of her humble abode.

The day had just begun.

...

**Someone is watching me from a distance...**

I wonder who it could be...? You may already know, but for those of you who don't like to guess at these things, I won't say. There's not much to say, since this is only the first chapter, but from here on out, I'll discuss the content of future chapters and chapter titles here. Speaking of chapter titles...

"Relentless Nights: Ninja in the Moonlight" comes from the fact that Ena relentlessly kills her targets with no remorse or questions asked... Kind of like a mindless robot. The "Ninja In The Moonlight" part comes from the mysterious figure that just happens to appear whenever Ena least expects it...

Oh, by the way, this was the first Naruto fanfiction I ever wrote. It's actually turned into a saga now... my friends do spin-offs of this story using the many OCs I created. ;p There's also a sequal to this story and a follow-up that I'm currently writing. Please stay tuned, everyone. Updates will be quick since this entire story has already been typed out. XD

So...

Please review and give me your thoughts! (I love feedback.) But if you just decide to read this without reviewing, that's okay too. I'll be glad if you're enjoying this story by simply checking it out. (I won't hound anyone for reviews. It's kinda mean. ;3)


	2. Lone Wolf:Snake in the Ground

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Two: "Lone Wolf: Snake in the Ground...!"

It turns out that the cry for help was nothing but an ignorant squeal from two lovers down below who had been carrying out games of blissful unawareness.

'Must be nice to have brains made of mush' thought Ena, heading back towards her home. 'I'll never fall in love for the fact that my mind may share the same fate.'

Subsequently, the Kunoichi's nose hit a rather resilient-like surface, but since it was soft and warm, she could quickly identify that she had bumped into a person of flesh and blood.

"Hey," the dark-haired female Shinobi shot aridly, "Watch where you're walking!"

As she poked open an eye, all the while rubbing her throbbing nose, her culprit came into clear focus…

It was Uchiha Sasuke, a.k.a. the village "Heart throb." Bluntly Ena thought he was a cold hearted jerk who selfishly attended to his own needs before others. However, many of her classmates and peers saw Sasuke as a vision of perfection: raven colored hair and eyes, a slight, yet strong, physique, and that damn annoying "hard to get" thing that turned all the Kunoichi on- except Ena and her gang, that is. The trio wasn't into the opposite sex at all, especially not with all the assassins and mercenaries around.

Anyway at the tone of Ena's voice, Sasuke had simply brushed her off and continued on his merry way.

'Jerk,' Ena thought, sticking her tongue out at him and settling for a nice afternoon stroll.

On her way to the local book shop, the female Shinobi sensed a disturbance in the air around her. Glancing around, she headed off in the opposite direction, towards the forest. 'Someone's following me… and I presume they're lusting for some blood'

In the camouflage of the tree tops, Ena crouched down low against the tree trunk's rough, coarse bark and silently waited. A slight breeze was stirring, signifying an approacher. Tense, the dark haired Kunoichi grasped the Kunai she kept with her at all times, and prepared to strike.

Unexpectedly, the stalker striked from behind and knocked Ena out of tree with hardly an effort. Focusing enough chakra into her feet she gained balance by digging her soles into the rear base of the tree's roots, saving her fall. Her attacker seemed to expect nothing less and continued his pursuit by moving nimbly in coincide to the wind and assaulting at precise moments.

Ena could hardly keep up, and as she tripped and stumbled backwards, a gracious hand helped her steady her trembling body.

"Th-thanks," she huffed, gaining her breath. "But next time, could you take it easy, Uncle Kakashi? I am a girl you know; it's unfair to go all out on me."

"Uncle" Kakashi was a young man preferably in his late twenties. His tall, silver hair only added to his incredible height, and his left eye was constantly hidden beneath his hitai-ate leaf headband, the symbol of a ninja and Konoha school graduate. And speaking of…

"Ena," the elite Shinobi started, "isn't your graduation tomorrow?"

She nodded, "Uh, huh, but it's nothing **I **can't handle, Uncle Kakashi?"

He sighed exhaustedly "Fine, fine, but enough with that "Uncle" stuff! I'm not even thirty yet, so I'm not that old, so much that you have to call me Uncle!"

Ena grinned impishly. "Ah, you're old enough. Now, are you coming home, or are you in the middle of a mission?"

"The latter," replied Kakashi, "however, I'll be at the graduation tomorrow."

"I'll expect you then."

With that, the female Shinobi sluggishly waved farewell at her guardian until he vanished into the darkening evening sky. 'Wow,' thought Ena, 'time sure flies. It's almost nightfall… and I also didn't notice how far we spared ourselves into the Forest… Man it'd be polite if Uncle Kakashi escorted me back home once in a while… Oh well it can't be helped.'

And she slowly trailed her way through the burdensome clingy bushes and lashing tree limbs, all in an effort to find the main road back to the village.

"Huh," she thought out loud, "I've already been down this road…"

She then back tracked through her steps and did some careful reconnaissance, finally attaining the perception that her running around in circles was not a mere coincidence; far from it, to be exact.

'Wait a minute," Ena muttered hoarsely. "This is a type of illusion jutsu!"

"How nice of you to notice, my liege."

Suddenly, the atmosphere around her dissolved and everything- the thicket, the ground, and the fiery sky- was spinning in an unsteady spiral, causing the female Shinobi to lose balance and fall to her knees.

"I need to do something!' thought the immobile Kunoichi who was struggling to focus in the twisting and turning world around her.

Closing her eyes to block out any visual distractions, she concentrated her inner chakra and signaled various hand signs, finalizing her procedure with "horse" and "tiger" in order to unleash a signature technique to the Konohagakure village.

"Fire style!" Ena cried out, opening her eyes and standing up hastily "Fireball Jutsu!"

From her mouth shot out a large line of dancing flames that flew forward and exploded into a large sphere of orange and red when it hit her target.

"Take that, fool," she gloated as the scenery successfully halted to an abrupt stop. The flames burned out, leaving behind a scorched plane and smoking embers… but no corpse.

"What the…?" the black-haired ninja gaped, scanning around in awe. "But I thought...!"

"You thought wrong."

And from behind, a large, mountain of snake blasted up from the earth and hissed viciously. Its forked tongue flickered in delight as the vile reptile opened its enormous jaws and lashed at the spot where Ena stood.

Luckily she was skillful enough to dodge but a pair of cold hands restrained her as she had leaped into the air. Reflexively, she completed another raid of hand signs, and accomplished the means of one of her favorite techniques.

Turning her head to face her pursuer, she opened her mouth wide and bellowed, "The art of fire! Dragon Flame Jutsu!" and again, a stream of burning crimson flame poured out from her being and smoldered the area around her. Forthwith, her captor would not release her from his grasp despite receiving third-degree burns.

"Very nice," he cooed," You killed my snake. But you are not even close to holding the power that I mistook you for…"

Ena gasped, "How are you still alive? You've taken two direct hits from some of my most powerful jutsu!"

The persistent pursuer grinned from a charred face, "It's just like I said- your too weak. But you are a good secondary candidate to what I crave. Maybe I should use you after all Ena…"

"How do you know my name?!" the Kunoichi exclaimed, letting down her guard.

"Never mind that," purred the un-dead Shinobi. "Oh and give Sasuke my regards!"

With that, he proceeded to sink his snake like fangs into her neck, but she rapidly sensed his actions and shielded herself with her right fore arm.

Bending his neck like an invertebrate would, the bizarre Shinobi bit into Ena's bicep and retreated quickly after a shadowy marking appeared around the fang marks.

Feeling a burning sensation around her arm, the Kunoichi growled, "Dammit! What did you do!?"

The venomous one licked his peeling lips, "It's just a little seal… actually, think of it as a test- if you die you aren't worthy of fighting me again, but if you live… well, let's just hope and pray you make it through the first hour, eh?"

Almost unable to stay conscious due to the excruciating pain, Ena decided it was time for this devil to perish. She gathered what chakra she had left to use, without expirating herself, and sent it all to her right hand. A turquoise light surrounded her wrist and fingers as her eyes rapidly took on a red hue.

"The Sharigan?"" the snake-like ninja spouted, impressed. "And could that jutsu be…?"

"Yes!" roared the female Shinobi in full confidence. "This is my ultimate technique- **Chidori!**"

And as fast as the swirling illumination that surrounded her hand, Ena charged forward with no intention of mercy.

Shockingly though, her opponent was fleeing from her reach and heading straight towards the village…

"Oh, no, you don't! Eat my fist, freak show!" and she protruded her arm forward, releasing an incredible amount of energy on her prey.

A blinding white light exploded as a result and everything stood still for the few moments that seemed like forever.

Knowing fully that no one had ever survived that jutsu, Ena staggered and leaned against a nearby solid surface, falling forward in satisfaction.

"Dumb bastard," she grumbled, giving in to the agony that coursed through her being, and blacked out.

...

A single ray of sunlight shone through a barren window and warmed Ena's face. Her head was resting against a down-filled pillow, and a thick, wool blanket covered her aching body. Opening her eyes lazily, the Kunoichi laid on her make shift bed staring at the plaster white ceiling, in a quiet daze. She forced her neck to turn her head to the side and was left wide-eyed at her company.

"U-Uchiha-kun?!" She unbelievingly stated.

The raven-haired Shinobi glanced at her, got up from his post, and walked out of the room, without saying a word.

Ena's temples twitched and when she tried to lift up her torso a sharp jolt pulled her down again, following by a quivering throb from her right bicep, which was bound tightly with bandages.

'This is horrible!' She thought, 'today's the day of graduation, and I can't even lift a finger! What am I going to do?! I don't want to be held back a year like Naruto did! That would be humiliating and repulsive! Oh, crap, why did I have to bump into that weirdo last night?!'

Growing even more aggravated, the female Shinobi screamed, at the top of her lungs, "THIS IS ALL **YOUR** FAULT, UNCLE KAKASHI, YOU OLD FART! I HOPE YOU GAIN WRINKLES AND BECOME BALD!!"

Taking in deep breaths, she finally relaxed and settled down. She scowled dramatically at the plaster ceiling, seeing how it hurt to turn her head, so all that she could stare at was anything above her, and sighed discontently. "Who am I kidding? I guess I deserved this for gloating yesterday… still, I wonder why I'm at Uchiha-kun's house. He's the last person I would expect to attend to a wounded neighbor…"

Hearing footsteps approaching, Ena lifted the blanket over her head and groaned. She did not want to talk to Sasuke at a tensive moment like this. However, he yanked the wool cove off of her and grabbed her left arm.

Get up," he shot, "or you're going to miss graduation."

The Kunoichi flinched as she struggled to raise her body off of the hard wood floor.

"But I can't go anyway," she replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "I've got go more chakra left in me- I think I might've reached my limit."

The cold eyed shinobi gave her a solemn frown, "Still doesn't mean you shouldn't attend."

Ena decided to cut to the chaise. "Why're you helping me?"

"Kakashi told me to… he's your uncle, right? You look nothing like him." Sasuke bluntly put.

The female ninja gave a forced laugh. "He's actually kind of my adopted parent… my father had killed my mother and, coincidentally, he, um, ended up dying also… Strangely I was spared, and that's when Kakashi began to look after me. I think I was eight or nine at the time.

The raven-haired Uchiha said nothing.

"But I think it may have been for the better. I mean, Kakashi taught me a ton of effective moves and helped me become stronger too! So strong that my rank is equal to Chunin…"

"What?!" Sasuke gasped.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all…" Ena wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and was glad that she caught herself before she spilled any major information. "S-so what about you Uchiha-kun? Who so you live with?"

He continued to remain in complete taciturn.

The Kunoichi realized from this awkward silence that he must be alone, too. "You're a loner, huh? I'm sorry."

"If you don't leave now, you'll be late," the hard exteriored lone wolf stated.

"But there's still a few hours until class starts."

"Yeah, and you're injured."

"What about you? Aren't you gonna help?"

"I've already done enough."

Pouting, Ena slowly slipped out the window, that she herself had to open, and mumbled, "I guess… you're not such a jerk after all"

Sasuke "humphed" and did not give a response. Instead, he, once again, dismissed himself from the room with a click of the door.

The female shinobi laughed at his arrogance and started on her harrowing journey.

...

**So you have the Sharingan as well...**

When reading this fanfiction, the readers can already tell that Ena is an Uchiha. But I guess that was the type of irony I wanted to use when writing this. (I think I had been inspired by William Shakespear's "Romeo and Juliet" when I started this. I loved how the audience would know exactly what would happen next, but the actual characters were ignorant and uninformed.)

The chapter title "Lone Wolf: Snake In The Ground...!" comes from the fact that Sasuke really is a loner and prefers to give people a cold shoulder. Orochimaru is then literally the snake that pops out of the ground and suprizes Ena with his sneak attack.

That's all for now, I guess. Please stay tuned, everyone. ;D And leave any comments or thoughts if you want.


	3. Graduation:Blood Covered Trembling Hands

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Three: "Graduation: Blood Covered, Trembling Hands…!"

"You pass, graduate!"

All Ena had to hear were those words and a wide grin found itself on her face. She was now a true ninja and could show off her title by baring the treasured hitai-ate headband as proof.

Kiri and Katone joined her outside after the ceremony and chattered away like little birds in the early morn.

"I can't believe the final test was a written exam!" exclaimed Kiri, with an exasperated tone.

"Me neither. Oh, and you should've seen Ena's face when Iruka-sensei explained that to us! Her jaw almost hit the desk top! Even her eyes bulged to the size of oranges! Ha, ha!" laughed Katone, elbowing the black-haired Kunoichi in the ribs.

She brushed her obnoxious friend off. "Yeah whatever. So how're you guys gonna wear your head bands? I've already put mine on, see?"

It was true. Ena had tightly wound her ninja emblem on her right bicep, not only to make it look fashionable, but to cover up the vile mark that throbbed every time she even thought of manipulating her chakra.

Katone sternly stared at her sparkling headband and then snapped her fingers in sudden thought. She tied it around her neck and beamed at her make-shift scarf.

As for Kiri, she seemed to struggle in her decision on how to apply her ninja verification. Sighing, she simply pressed it against her forehead and knotted it in the traditional style.

"I think that may be the best style for you, Kiri-Chan," Ena complimented kindly, slightly flinching from the pain that was returning to her limb.

"Thanks," the fiery-eyed Kunoichi replied. "But I've been wondering something…"

"Hmm?" Ena perked up

"Me too," Katone added. "All afternoon you've been wincing and grasping your arm. Are you feeling okay? Did something happen last night?"

The killer Shinobi's face soured. Her friends always seemed to hit the bulls-eye when it came to her personal life. Were they freakin' psychics, or was her face just easy to read? She could never tell around her kin.

"Uh, well," Ena started, sensing a hint of uneasy bile rise up from her stomach. Then a puff of heavy smoke shrouded around the trio, and from it, appeared Kakashi and all his glory. "Yo. Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay," said the black-haired Kunoichi, slightly glaring at her guardian with her hazel-green eyes.

He didn't seem to notice her assaulting eye contact and instead sharply whispered, "How is your arm?"

The bile rose quickly into her throat and Ena struggled to swallow it down. 'He knows… well, no, duh! Of course he knows! Kakashi's the one who brought me to Uchiha-kun's house!'

"It's doing fine."

"What's doing 'fine'?" Katone and Kiri interrupted, wanting to know what all the hush was about.

Kakashi gently turned to them and said, "Listen, girls, I need to spend some 'family bonding time' with ol' Ena tonight, seeing how she graduated and all. Will that be all right with you two?"

"Sure," they nodded, giving second glances at Ena that read "You better continue your explanation next time, or else…!"

Giving a watery laugh and wave, the Konoha school graduate trotted off with the silver haired Shinobi at her side.

"You almost blew my cover, Uncle Kakashi," she emphasized, ruthlessly.

He coldly glimpsed at her. "Serves you right for cursing me this morning."

'Damn, he heard that,' Ena sighed and glumly kicked a stone off of the road. "I wouldn't even have this bite mark if **you **hadn't spared with me last night."

"Oh, so now it's my fault?"

"**It is your** fault! You should've escorted me home or something! But **noooo**! You're too caught up in missions and crap to even bother with my well being! One of these days you're going to end up dying doing your job, you know that?!"

_**Slap.**_

A burning hand mark was molded on the side of Ena's face. Kakashi had striked her for her rude remarks and utter disrespect. "Don't even start that, Ena. I go on missions that entrust the safety of not just the village, but of your safety as well! This place would be a war zone if it weren't for missions like mine, and I know better than anyone that you understand this as a personal fact. The Hokage even sends **you**, a mere Genin, on 'B' and 'C' ranked missions! So just because you bare the symbol of an adult now, doesn't mean you're my equal. You still have a ways to go, understand?"

The arrogant female Shinobi tenderly rubbed her burning cheek and trivially bowed in apology, mumbling a grim, "Sorry, it won't happen again."

Her guardian exhaled and sympathetically tosseled her hair in affection. "Now how about some Katsu-don? I hear there's a new stand that cooks it fast and serves it fresh and hot."

Ena gave a soft laugh. This was typical Uncle Kakashi: sternly scold one with bitter cold-heartedness, and then lighten up the mood hastily with a carefree slacker-like attitude. However, despite the informalities, she couldn't help but inquire, "But what do I do about this bite mark? Should I worry about it? Will it heal? Who is it that gave it to me? And why… why did…?"

Suddenly a stray ninja teleported beside Kakashi and muttered something in his ear. He nodded and the ninja disappeared.

"Ena…," started the elite shinobi, sounding a bit downhearted.

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. Thanks for showing up anyway. You were right, the missions you go on are for everyones well-being... including mine. They're important."

He patted her on the shoulder and literally left the scene with a "poof". Ena rubbed her cheek and then her right bicep. But instead of her bandage, she now felt the frigid metal of her headband.

'…But why did that snake-like ninja want Uchiha-kun? Is he in danger, too…? Should I warn him? Should I…?'

Pushing the thought aside, the Kunoichi remembered the tidbit about the new Katsu-don restaurant that had just opened up, and headed over there.

Food not only filled the stomach, but warmed the soul as well. Even a troubled one.

...

The evening rapidly fell victim to the night, and rushed a long hour of nightmares into Ena's subconscious.

_Ena, at nine-years-old, hesitantly slid open the waiting room door. The flower pot she had been carrying, in order to use later in her flower arranging project, crashed to the floor and shattered into thousands of tiny fragments that scattered across the hard oak floor._

_Her father was tightly grasping a blood-stained katana that hovered over a motionless figure that was his wife--Ena's mother._

"_Wh-what happened?" the black haired Kunoichi quivered, immobile and in a slight disposition of distress. "Why is Mama…? Why did you…? Papa…?"_

_He said nothing to his daughter and failed to ungrip his sword that dripped droplets of crimson that began to produce a wide spreading puddle._

_Ena gripped the cuff of her shirt and her mouth became irritatingly dry. She took two steps towards her father and came to an abrupt halt as she sliced open her toes on the sharp, broken clay pot pieces._

_Finally her father spouted, "It is the end of our clan, Ena. __**He**__ will kill us all, and there is nothing we can do to stop him; it is how fate has declared it."_

_There was then a chilling silence that choked the air around them and sent shivers down Ena's back. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes as she bellowed, "And that's why you killed Mama? How could you?! __**How could you, Papa?!**__"_

_That said, the head of the household began then began a steady pace towards Ena, the blood soaked edge of the katana glaring at her with deep malevolence. "I did it because of love. I couldn't bare to see her die by the hands of someone else, so… you will share the same end as well, my daughter."_

_Ena exhaled and took in a wavering breath that squeaked like a frightened sob. The tears that had once threatened to fall were now trailing down the side of her face in small rivulets. She backed up with her weak legs that refused to move, and pressed her back against the sliding door._

"_Come, Ena," cooed her crazed father, who seemed to have no sense of humanity left within him. "Let's all go someplace safe together… someplace safe…"_

_The tip of the katana was drawing nearer and nearer, and the sight of her mother's horrific bloodied corpse was completely horrendous… Ena's eyes could only focus on the objects that where splattered with the sickening red color of blood and everything else just seemed to spiral around her in an endless cycle._

_Her father ominously towered over her and brought the sword above his head, preparing to strike..._

_The miniscule Kunoichi felt a surge of adrenaline, fear, and power coarse through her being as her life was about to end at any moment…_

'_No,' she pondered as she clamped her teary, hazel-green eyes shut. 'I don't want to die! I don't! __**I DON'T**__!'_

"_**NOOOO**__!" Ena screamed as her eyes shot open to reveal the sacred Sharingan technique embellished upon them._

_The head of the household brought down his sword, anticipating the sound of slicing flesh, but it never came. Instead, he hit the bamboo of the sliding door and stood in a stupor as he bewilderedly contemplated his daughter's whereabouts._

_Unexpectedly, a powerful blow released the katana from his grasp and it landed in the palms of Ena, who was wielding it with trembling fingers._

_Her father chuckled maniacally. "Yes, I see now… You're going to extract revenge on me, right? Ha! How could you ever slay your own flesh and blood, Ena? How could you ever even think of murdering your own father…?"_

"_Sh-shut up!" the little Kunoichi retorted belligerently. "What about you, Papa? You slayed your own flesh and blood! You killed Mama! You had thoughts of murder! You're the one who did it all! Why shouldn't I kill you… you-you… __**YOU DEVIL**__!!"_

_With that, Ena released all of her wrath and molded it into vigor, in which allowed her to swing her sword and slash at her father with cruel retribution._

_When the last slice was delt, the man of the household fell to the polished floor in a slaughtered heap of blood and meat._

_Snapping back into reality, Ena realized what she had just done and the Sharingan faded from her eyes. She dropped the Katana, which fell to the ground with a "clang", and lay limply in a crimson puddle. She looked at her shuddering hands, which where completely covered in the red, metallic-smelling fluid, and closed them into tight fists. Her shoulders began to shake as sorrowful tears began to reproduce themselves in her eyes and once again trickle down her cheeks._

_Subsequently, a pair of footsteps sounded from behind and entered through the demolished slide door._

"_Well, well," commented the voice, preferably a male's. "Now what has happened here?"_

_Ena was already on her knees with her hands shielding her face from exposing her shameful and morose expression._

_The trespasser continued into the room in order to thoroughly look over the details of the grotesque scene. He observed the corpses and sarcastically applauded._

"_Hmph," started the stranger, "I was going to do this myself, but it looks like you took care of it for me, Ena. Maybe I'll spare you… seeing how death would just end your misery. But I guess its better this way... I'll let you slowly suffer over the mourning of your parents' death. That should suffice for now, no? Anyway, just like I noted the only other survivor, your cowardly cousin, if you want to seek revenge on me, then you'd be best prepared to kill. It's the only way you'll survive in a fight against me…"_

_And the stone-hearted killer walked away with the click of his heals, not even faltering at the fact that he was the cause of Ena's parents' death, and the massacre of his own family and clan._

_Everything had just been a trial for him. A session to try out his power. And with this power came the prompt end of their clan… the only thing remaining were blood, tears, and agony..._

Ena awoke in a cold sweat and hastily clutched her right bicep; it was burning as if it where aflame. Taking in deep breaths, the female shinobi squinted at her clock to see that it was only two a.m.

'What a nightmare,' she contemplated, still mentally disturbed. 'But I haven't had that one since way back…nor have I remembered it…'

Sluggishly laying back down on her soft mattress and pillows, Ena shut her heavy orbs and rubbed her ringing temples.

'That's right,' she continued to ponder. 'I need to exact revenge on he who killed my clan…but how can I if I don't even remember his face…? More importantly, how can I even get revenge if I don't even remember my real clan name? Hunh, I guess I must've gone through such an extreme trauma that it wiped my memory clean... I also have that cousin or what not…'

The black-haired Kunoichi yawned and turned over onto her left side. 'I shouldn't worry about it now… I just need a good night's rest…tomorrow's picture day for the class book and I need to…to…'

Ena's mind blackened and she re-entered a more pleasant dream state.

She could forget, but the scars would still remain…

...

**A past that has been clouded due to the passing of time...**

I remember that this initial idea came from a certain line from "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories". In the "Nightmare Before Christmas" arc, it was mentioned that (don't exactly quote me on this one) "... memories tend to warp and fade over time. We manipulate some into more pleasant memories, while others become more dark." (Or something along those lines.) But in reference to this, Ena's rough experiences and painful endurance of the curse mark are causing her to remember the grotesque memories of her past. Faces and names have been erased from her subconsious, but the heavy details remain...

But we can all guess that she is a survivor of the Uchiha massacre... along with Sasuke.

As for the chapter title, "Graduation: Blood Covered, Trembling Hands" comes from the fact that Ena and her class have graduated from the ninja academy, and in her dream, she was a terrified, small child who took out her own father with blood covered, trembling hands. Rather angsty, if I do say so myself...

Anywho, that's all for now... next time, there's some comedy and action! Please stay tuned!


	4. Pondering:The Beginning of the Future

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Four: "Pondering: The Beginning of the Future…?!"

The next morning, Ena prettied herself up for her class book picture, which contained every ninja statistic of the graduating semester. She pulled her hair back for once and polished up her headband until her reflection beamed back at her.

The bite mark wasn't throbbing like it usually did, so the black-haired Kunoichi guessed that it was finally healing.

'Today seems like a lucky day,' she smiled at the clear blue skies, sensing no rolling storms over the horizon.

The photo turned out pretty well, and now Ena had to secretly sneak off to the assignment center in order to receive her daily mission (and the one she missed from yesterday).

Stepping up to the counter, the female Shinobi muttered the limited password of acception, known only by a few, in which allowed job requests to be handed out to minors without the guidance of a sensei or an adult.

"Oh, Ena-kun," one of the mission recorders whispered, "I saved the mission from yesterday for you…"

"Thanks, I--WOAH! A-Rank?!" she exclaimed, blown away by such a difficult task.

The recorder shushed her and added, "The Hokage is entrusting his faith in you with this one… the good part is: the date on this assignment doesn't expire. You can start it whenever you feel ready. As for today's dirty work, well... it's the usual."

Ena bowed with gratitude and pocketed the A-Rank mission in her pocket. It was a fortunate thing that she didn't have to worry about it now. Besides, maybe Kakashi could go with her on this one, since it was almost suicide to go on such a difficult journey as a single dispatch unit.

Heading out, she viewed Naruto in the distance.

"Hey!" the Kunoichi called over to him. "Hey, Uzumaki-kun!"

The blonde perked his head up and hopped over, happily greeting with a cheery, "So how do I look?"

Ena nearly lost her balance as she scanned over Naruto's face: it was completely covered in white and red face paint, making him look like a total buffoon.

"U-Uzumaki-kun!" the Kunoichi spazed with a hint of exasperation. "Don't tell me you're going to have your picture taken looking like **that**?!"

The hyperactive Shinobi chuckled and scratched his neck sheepishly. "It took me nearly three hours to get the face right! So I'm definitely going to be the best looking one in the class book! Believe it!"

The female ninja forced a twitching smile and breathed deeply. "Uh, good luck with that. Oh, and don't forget to attend school tomorrow!"

"What for?"

"So we can be put into out teams and receive our new sensei, that's what! I'll be hoping to join forces with you!" Ena explained short and to the point.

Naruto nodded and replied, "Same here! See you later!"

"See ya!" she waved as the comical blonde headed towards the photography area, which was perched a top a scaling roof.

"He certainly is going to make something of himself," Ena commented to herself, contemplating on the matter for a bit.

After ramming her head on future preferences, she finally grasped her mind from drifting above the cotton-candy clouds in the azure sky, and decided to visit Katone and Kiri for a change.

...

Katone's home was in the back of her family's candy shop, which, in comparison to Ena's humble abode, was almost mansion-like. Each member had their own bedroom, there were two separate bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a living room for chatting with guests. Kiri sat beside Ena on a comfy sofa, while Katone herself lounged in her favorite armchair. Their conversation constantly revolved upon her personal life.

"And guess what?" the auburn haired Kunoichi started. "After our candy shop has become so popular here in the Konoha leaf village, my mom's declared that we expand our shop to the neighboring lands, as well!"

Kiri blew a raspberry from her lips a giggled. "Trying to level up in order to be entitled with 'Okinawi Candy Corp.'? Pretty impressive."

Ena decided to break into the topic by adding, "Say, Katone-chan? Your family isn't forcing you to take over their business, right?"

"Yeah, but why do you ask?"

The black-haired female ninja gazed at her lap, a bit downhearted at what she was about to say. "So, uh, why do you still want to do it? Take over the business, I mean."

Katone folded her arms across her chest and thought for a minute, before answering bluntly, "Cause if I fail at being an elite Shinobi, I'll still have someplace where I can put myself back together and try again."

"But how can you say that so lightly?" Ena continued, still trying not to make any sudden eye contact. "Are you really that certain that you'll just fail? How can you… I mean, you just… uh, um…"

The heiress of the candy shop line was growing impatient of all the stuttering, and sharply bellowed, "WHAT IS IT WOMAN?! JUST SPIT IT OUT!"

Ena sighed and successfully put all her words together. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes I wonder why I, myself, try so hard… I don't know why I even attempt to be ambitious anymore."

Katone blinked in an unexpected manner. "Uh, huh… Oh! I get it now Ena! You want a job too so just in case if you fail, you'll have a second option as well! That's why you're so interested in my future! Well my reasoning for you is…"

Dramatic silence.

She then snapped her fingers with an idea and completed her speech with," … I don't know!"

Ena and Kiri almost fell off the couch. "Wh-wha…?!"

Katone grinned like she didn't have a care in the world. "I doubt I could figure out what course of action you should take, god forbid you don't make the cut... Besides, even if I do become the Okinawi Candy Shop head, it really doesn't change what I know or don't know. There's no guarantee that everything will be all fine and dandy. Hell, it might even end up being the worst decision in my life, where I'll think, 'Man I should've stuck with bein' a Shinobi!' Even so, what you shouldn't think about are the 'What ifs'. What you should think about are the 'what can I's' and 'how can I's', you know?"

This long pathetic monologue brought about a wide spread of laughter from Ena, who remarked, "Katone-chan, you are a complete nut-job! But… thanks anyway. You at least got one thing off of my buzzing mind."

"Ahh," she blushed conceitedly, "what're friends for? Anyhow, how 'bout a quick sugar break? I'm starving!"

Kiri frowned and playfully smacked her upside the head. "Fool! Candy doesn't fill your stomach!"

Ena nodded in recognition. "She's right you know. So how about some Katsu-don on the house instead?"

Katone jumped up and clicked her heels in glee. "Now you're speaking my language!"

And the trio ventured out into the streets, in seek of the Katsu-don restaurant.

...

The moon was waning in the gray, thick mist that hung in from the occluded clouds. Ena was once again on a search and destroy mission, but her target wasn't easy pickings. It seems that this particular Shinobi was gifted with the arts of a destructive jutsu that enabled its user to be able to melt anything that he or she wished. Long story short: he had to be stopped.

No trees or shrubs shrouded the Kunoichi's path; her surroundings were solemnly the dirt road and the still lake side that ceased after three yards. Besides that, Ena was as visible as a fox in a chicken coup.

At the end of her stroll, she confronted her enemy, who held proof of his baneful ability; a ruined corpse in a pile of goop, nothing left but the poor soul's clothing and belongings.

Ena kept her distance, all the while spouting, "That makes your nineteenth victim, doesn't it, Stebo Sudoredo-san?"

His rat-like complexion gave a wolfish grin. "And who the hell are you supposed to be? The frickin' munchkin welcoming committee?"

The Kunoichi didn't allow Stebo's words to pierce through her. "Don't underestimate your competition, Sudoredo-san. It might be the last thing you ever do…"

He growled from deep within his throat, and licked his fingers that were caked with blood. "Was that a threat, you little bitch? Are you actually **asking **me to a fight?"

Ena curved her lips into a light smile. "I'm not asking you to dinner now, am I?"

After finishing her sarcastic comment, Stebo roared and came forward like a raging bull. He performed several hand signs and his palms began to emit an eerie neon glow. He stretched his arms out towards Ena's chest, but she quickly backflipped and leaped over the assaulting ninja.

"I see you have some pep in you!" Stebo licked his lips and watched the black-haired Kunoichi with glaring golden-eyes. "But that won't change the outcome of your odious fate!"

The rodent dispositioned Shinobi flung a whizzing shuriken at Ena, in attempt to immobilize her, however, it was just a useless doppelganger that he managed to strike. For the real one was holding a Kunai to his neck, ready to end his pitiful life.

Stebo began to tremble as he weakly mumbled, "You damn..!"

The female Shinobi mercilessly scowled and shot, "I told you not to underestimate me, fool. And now you shall be punished gravely for your sinful deeds."

And just before she dug the sharp end of the kunai blade into her prey's flesh, a frightening trip brought her back to the day she murdered her own father…

_He had been half dead when he screamed in agony, "__**PLEASE STOP, ENA! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME**__!"_

_Ena screeched and told him to shut up, stabbing him again._

"_**NO ENA! STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP**__!"_

_Another slice to his chest…_

"_**ENA**__!!"_

_Slice…_

"_**ENA**__!!"_

Gasping violently, the Kunoichi froze up and Stebo took this as his advantage.

He readied his hands and bellowed, "You're the longest lasting client, little girl! And because of this, I'm proud to pronounce that you are victim number twenty!"

'Shit!' she thought as everything moved in slow motion right before her eyes. 'I can't die here! I **can't**!'

And in a flash, more than a dozen shuriken flew in their direction and pierced into Stebo's temple, killing him on impact. Ena sighed and quickly turned around to view her liberator.

Her hazel-green orbs grew wide as she whispered, "Uchiha-kun…?!"

He looked sternly at her and inquired, "I was suspicious of you before, and now my resolve has been solidified. You're not a normal Genin, are you? You're apart of something greater... something secretive, am I wrong?"

Ena hung her head in defeat. "I guess you do deserve an explination, seeing how you've helped me out a lot these past few days. Let's just say that, thanks to Unc-er, Kakashi-sensei, I've gained _special_ access to the village assignment center. So for the last three years, I've been going on missions like this--A and B rank--without fail."

The raven-haired boy chuckled out a sneer. "You don't seem to be so undefeatable now."

The Kunoichi tenderly touched her bicep, feeling the chilled metal of her headband that gave her reassurance, like a pacifier. "… I've been wondering about that, too. Ever since I was bitten by that mysterious, snake-like Shinobi--the night that I ended up at your quarters--I've felt as if my strength had been limited… as if I have a heavy chain around my throat."

Sasuke said nothing and observed her for a moment. Why did being around her make him feel so nostalgic...?

Anyway," Ena continued, forcing a twisted smile, "I'd best be back. Even though Uncle- er, Kakashi-sensei is out most of the time, he still expects me to be home before dawn. And, uh, Uchiha-kun?"

He continued to stare, a dazed look etched upon his coal-dark eyes. "Hm?"

"Why were you here? It's a bit far from the village."

Sasuke said only the following, "I sensed bloodlust," and started off down the suited path.

Ena couldn't help but snort. "You're the biggest mystery of them all, Uchiha-kun!"

"Whatever," he retorted, his back to her.

"Oh!" the Kunoichi remembered suddenly. "Don't forget that tomorrow we get put into squads, Uchiha-kun! So report to the academy bright and early!"

He remained silent and didn't respond. The moonlight gave him a handsome disposition, but Ena felt no feelings for him… Yet, she sensed a connection between them.

That's when the black-haired female made a realization. 'Uchiha-kun's clan was slaughtered, too, wasn't it? … Could that mean…?"

At that thought she raced back to the village and hurried home, starting to believe her almost absurd ponderment:

'Maybe I'm an Uchiha…?'

...

**The boy whose clan was massacred as well... Maybe we're one and the same?**

Ena is bumping into Sauske a lot, and this line: "He remained silent and didn't respond. The moonlight gave him a handsome disposition, but Ena felt no feelings for him… Yet, she sensed a connection between them," was put in for the sole purpose to make sure that the readers don't get the wrong idea... Ena's not going to be paired with Sasuke! She actually has an infactuation with Naruto, if you haven't noticed already...XP (There's more info on my OCs on my fanfiction account profile, so check that out if you want to know more.)

Oh, but Ena's slowly coming to a realization--is she an Uchiha? Well, we know as much, but again, the cruel irony of this fanfiction hides the truth from the characters. And Ena's internal conflict keeps her from actually believing this fact.

The title, "Pondering: The Beginning of the Future" comes from the hapless conversation between Ena, Kiri, and Katone. Ena doesn't really know what's going to happen to her in the future and it troubles her... However, she's pacified by Katone's nonchalant attitude and puts the matter aside for the meantime. The confrontation between Ena and Sasuke also hints a bit of foreshadowing for what's to come...

"Stebo Sudoredo"... that's actually a real person whose name I warped. XD I wrote this fic back in Middle School and back then, there was this guy that one of my good friends was dating... I really disliked him. He stole my friend and she never talked to me during their hook-up... I punished him with the power of fanfiction as a result. (There's a lot of this in my fics... I'm such a bad girl. XP)

That said, thanks for reading this fic! The next chapter will be coming at you soon... So please drop in a review if you want-ttebayo. ;3


	5. Teams:Sakura Sasuke Naruto Katone & Kiri

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Five: "Teams: Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Katone, and Kiri...!" 

The teams had been decided and fortunately for Ena she was grouped with Kiri and Katone. However their team had been forged by the fact that they were the "leftovers" on the class list, and landed on the unlucky squad thirteen spot. And in result of this, their group was said to wait with another in order to receive their new sensei. Their company? Why, it was squad number seven, no less, and it was composed of: the number one hyperactive knuckle head, Uzumaki Naruto, the class wiz and Sasuke fan girl, Haruno Sakura, and the lone wolf himself, Uchiha Sasuke.

Kiri's face grew a deep crimson as Katone nudged her in the ribs and shoved her closer to Sasuke. Ena sighed as she hoped he would keep his mouth shut about last night… last night…

"Oh, um, you guys?" the Kunoichi sputtered to her teammates in a low tone. 'This is just a thought, but do you, by any chance, think I might be apart of the Uchiha clan?"

The two female Shinobi stared at her for a while and then burst out laughing. "You're really something, Ena! 'I might be part of the Uchiha clan'... priceless!"

Ena gave a meek chuckle and lost herself in reverie again. 'Yeah, that was a crazy thought… who am I joking, thinking I was a relative of Uchiha-kun? I've got to lay off the Katsu-don for awhile..."

Meanwhile, as Katone and Kiri guffawed until their guts ached, Ena day dreamed, and Sakura was busy with her attempts to get personal with Sasuke, Naruto was cooking up an ultimate prank of his own.

"Hey, hey, check this out!" the blonde announced. "Our stupid sensei is late, so as punishment, he's gonna get pranked! You see this chalkboard eraser? Well, I'm gonna stick it in the door, so when he, or she, slides it to come inside, it'll hit 'em square in the noggin!"

Sasuke grumbled in annoyance. "You loser. Our new sensei is an elite shinobi. They're not going to fall for a cheap trick like that."

Sakura, who was once again fiddling with her light rose colored hair, shot, "Naruto, that's horrible! You shouldn't be doing things like that! It'll leave a huge bad impression!"

Ena snapped out of her glazed-over disposition and remarked, "I don't think it'll be that big of a deal."

"And why not?" Sakura snapped, growing tension between her and the black-haired Kunoichi of whom she had never made familiar acquaintances with.

"Because I have a **real **strong feeling of who our sensei might be…"

"And who is that?" Sakura questioned further.

A hand then reached for the door and...

_**Boof**_!

The sensei who had pushed the doorframe open had triggered Naruto's trap, leading to a big puff of chalk dust to settle into his sleek silver hair.

"Hey, Uncle Kakashi," Ena waved halfheartedly. "How's it going?"

He stared morbidly at her a sighed. "Fine, until now."

"Ha, ha, ha! You fell for it!" Naruto obnoxiously gloated.

'How can a fool like this be an elite shinobi?' Sasuke pondered, shaking his head.

"I tried to stop him, Sensei, but he wouldn't listen!" Sakura innocently explained; yet her thoughts were oppositely different. 'Cha'! That was awesome! He fell for it hook, line, and sinker!"

All the while, Katone and Kiri stood at the sidelines, and watched the spectacular display before them. Katone even had enough amusement to sarcastically spout, "Pass the popcorn, this scene is getting good!"

However, Kakashi was far from amused... he was ticked.

"Hmm," he started, "let me give you all an impression of what I think of you guys, right now:

You're a bunch of **idiots**."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's self-esteem plummeted while Ena's squad giggled and snickered impishly from afar.

"And **you** three," Kakashi turned to them. "You're nothing but a bunch of hapless slackers."

It was then team seven's turn to laugh. The black-haired Kunoichi was taken aback by this comment. "B-but, Uncle Kakashi, I…"

"And from here on out, you'll all address me as Sensei, do I make myself clear?" the elite ninja stated sternly.

Katone clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Who died and made you king of the mountain?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that and say that tomorrow, I'll make sure **your** team goes on an extremely rigorous and mission filled day. Now how does that sound, Katone?" Kakashi sneered.

Her mouth was left agape and not a word elapsed from her lips; Kiri had a face that read, _that's not fair_!, and Ena was frowning angrily.

"Um, Sensei?" Sakura piped up. "How come you're tending to two teams?"

Kakashi rubbed his forehead and said, "Because there aren't enough elite shinobi who are willing to teach you Genin. So be grateful for what you get."

This effected a large groan from everyone.

"Enough of that," he continued. "Now let's head outside for some fresh air and get to know each other a little better."

And as the junior ninja followed him out onto the roof top, Sakura glared at Ena and crudely chanted, "'I don't think it'll be **that** big of a deal.' Ha! What a joke. This is all Naruto's fault, no doubt!"

The female shinobi of hazel-green eyes gave a sickened glance at the light rose-haired Kunoichi and retorted, "Don't blame Uzumaki-kun, Sakura! It was all of our faults, and you know it! Anyone who has the gall to treat Uzumaki-kun as an outsider is trash!"

Ena then clicked her heels and hurried off after her team mates, leaving Sakura as dumbfounded as if she had been slapped across the face.

...

"Now," Kakashi started, "I'd like all of you to tell us a little about yourselves."

"Like what?" Naruto, Katone, and Kiri almost said in complete coincide.

The silver-haired shinobi shrugged. "You know. The usual. Your favorite thing… What you hate most… Dreams, ambitions, hobbies, things like that."

Naruto was still unsure, so he suggested, "Help us out here, coach. You go first. Show us how it's done."

Sakura nodded. "That's right… after all, you're a complete stranger to us… a mystery."

Ena, Kiri, and Katone could comply.

"Oh, me? My name is Hatake Kakashi," he said, speaking off the top of his mind. "I'm the type of person who doesn't feel like talking about his likes and dislikes. My dreams for the future are none of your business; but anyway, I have lots of hobbies…"

Squad thirteen sweatdropped as they could totally agree with Sakura's comment.

"Hey, he said a lot," Katone noticed, "but all we really learned was his name."

Kakashi gestured their way saying, "Now it's your turn. Starting with **you, **the one on the right."

Naruto pointed at himself and inquired, "Me?! Well, my name is Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is instant cup ramen! What I like even better is when Iruka-sensei treats me to ramen at the Ichiraku noodle bar. What I hate is the three minute wait after I pour in the boiling water…"

Ena's face gloomed. 'He appears to have nothing more on his mind than Ramen...'

But her expression lifted at the blonde's following statement…

"My dream is to one day be the greatest Hokage, believe it! And then, finally, all the villagers will have to acknowledge my existence at last!"

A smile found itself on Ena's lips as she thought, 'Now that's the Uzumaki-kun I know! I'm glad he's aspiring to become an amazing Konoha legend.'

Finishing up his rant, the hyperactive ramen lover ended with, "My hobbies are pranks and practical jokes, I guess."

Kakashi muffled his silver hair and expected as much. "Next!"

The lone wolf was agitated as usual, for his tone in voice was flat and cold. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are plenty of things I hate, but I don't see that it matters, considering there is almost nothing I do like…"

"Except rice balls with bonito flake filling!" Sakura squealed.

"Shut up," Katone hissed, Kiri and Ena feeling the same way.

"It seems pointless to talk about my 'dreams'; that's just a word. But what I do have…" Sasuke paused. "…Is determination. I plan to restore my clan. And there's someone I have sworn to **kill**."

"He is so cool!" Sakura blushed madly, even Kiri had a slight tint of red in her cheeks as well.

Naruto and Katone had a face that screamed _I sure hope it ain't me_, but Ena suspected as much, as did Kakashi.

After a stunned silence, it was Sakura's turn. "I am Haruno Sakura. My favorite thing is…well, it's not a thing, it's a person... A boy…and that boy is… uh, let's move on to my dream."

She squealed like the fangirl she was and created an uncomfortable atmosphere around her fellow ninja.

"I hate Naruto," she stated bluntly and continued on her stupid biography.

Ena patted him on the shoulder and gave him a goofy grin, telling him to cheer up. Unfortunately, the blonde prankster didn't seem to be paying attention.

Kakashi sighed. "Okay…"

Kiri gulped and took a deep breath. "I'm Tomoya Kiri. I like to read epic stories and eat Katsu-don with my friends. I hate monkeys and just about anything in that category. My dream is to become a much more stronger person and Shinobi."

Katone was next in line. "I'm known as Okinawi Katone. I like to eat candy and procrastinate. I hate… well, I'm not too sure, right now, so check in on that later. My dream is to become a high rank Shinobi, but if I can't do that, then, well, I'll be able to take over the family candy shop!"

"Wonderful," Kakashi sarcastically clapped. "And last but not least…," he faced his relative as did everyone else.

Ena closed her eyes and cutely grinned. "I'm Hatake Ena! I like to train and always keep up my ambitious streak! I dislike Shinobi who use their powers for wrong and hate those who betray their friends even more. My dream is to…to…um, it's kind of hard to simplify but I want to find out my true clan name... for they were wiped out in a single night. I also want to find the last living blood relative that I presume may still be out there somewhere. And… that's it."

Katone, Kiri, Naruto, and Sakura stared surprisingly at her, while Sasuke didn't even flinch. Yet, Kakashi's eyes were filled with a hint of sorrow as he took in her speech.

He stood up and cricked his neck. "I think that's enough for tonight. Ena, Katone, and Kiri, you can head home. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, you stay here; I need to instruct you on something."

Bowing politely and hopping down on to the solid road, squad thirteen walked together in a dim quietude.

'That look in Uncle Kakashi's eyes,' Ena thought, 'they appeared to be so morose that even someone like me felt like crying… Is my dream really worth it if he has to sustain such sadness?'

But not even Kakashi himself could answer that.

...

**The best part of a dream is that it may never happen... For if it ever does, then it was never really a dream.**

Or something along those lines. ;p This chapter, in my friends' opinion anyway, was "filler-like". But I think it was rather important! There was a lot of characterization... Especially on Kiri and Katone's part. Kiri's Sasuke infactuation is shown, as is Katone's laziness. (Everyone wanted me to pair her up with Shikamaru, but somewhere along the way, it never happened...w'')

Oh, and I apologize to all of the Sakura fans for all of the harsh "pwnds" she recieved in this chapter... I really disliked her in Middle School and thought she was extremely useless... I also think the Naruto anime first appeared in the U.S. at the time, so her English dub really pissed me off... (Again, forgive me.)

The chapter title: "Teams: Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Katone, and Kiri" is simple. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Kiri and Katone have become Ena's team mates, and they each get to know eachother a little better.

As for updates, I have school in the way, but I'll try my best to post more chapters. See you all soon!


	6. Odd Jobs:Followers At The Forest

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Six: "Odd jobs: Followers at the Forest...!" 

Ena and her team woke up at the brink of dawn, harrying the fact that their day from hell was about to begin. When they reached the crossing bridge that brought it's travelers to the forest, it seemed like almost forever until Kakashi finally arrived.

"Yo," he waved, "sorry I'm late. A black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long route here..."

"A likely statement," Katone snapped, irritable at the fact that she could've been able to save herself some sleep.

"You seem lively, Katone, would you like me to add another little something on your to-do list?" the elite Shinobi closed his one visible eye and supposedly smiled acrimoniously.

Kiri gave Katone a flustered look and Ena forced her into a light bow by shoving her head down. "She- she didn't mean that, Uncle Kaka-er, I mean, Kakashi-sensei. Katone-chan's just not a morning person!"

He snorted and Ena frowned angrily. She could tell he was getting a kick out of all this "total command" jargon.

"Very well then," the silver-haired Jonin collected himself. "Here's your full list of tasks for the day."

Handing it to his relative, Ena's disposition gloomed. "What the hell is all this?!"

"Your tasks for…"

"Yeah, I know that!" the black-haired Kunoichi bellowed. "But what is with the content?! Picking vegetables for Old Lady Mami, baby sitting the street performer's monkeys, cleaning the Hokage's office windows, and pulling weeds from the Konoha academy lawn?! You've got to be kidding me! This is all rookie shit! Where are all the exciting missions where you can escort people and protect them from assassins?!"

Kakashi tousled her hair and quietly replied, "Everyone has to start somewhere, Ena. Just cooperate, take it slow, and have fun."

Grumbling, the female shinobi of higher skill agreed and nodded to her comrades. They were then gone in a heart beat, running with the wind.

Their sensei sighed. "Don't overdo it…"

...

The gathering of tomatoes, leeks, and cabbage was fairly simple, but the nursing of the monkeys was proving to be difficult. Kiri had a strong hatred towards the tailed primates and was not resisting the urge to maul them to death.

Katone restrained her by the arms, while Ena kept the monkeys at a distance.

"Let me go!" Kiri roared, flailing madly. "Let me at those beasts!"

Ena sweatdropped as she held the trio of mammals in her arms. "Hey, we're supposed to watch over the clients not kill them!"

And after this episode, the next wasn't so pleasant either.

The Okinawi Candy shop heir was drying off the washed windows when Kiri tipped over the water bucket and toppled it down on top of Katone's head. She slipped on the soapy liquid below her and began to teeter to and fro. Noticing her distress, Ena clamped onto her falling friends arm and nearly fell down four stories herself, if it weren't for Kiri hanging onto her torso, that is.

Finally at the last task of the afternoon, squad number thirteen vigorously removed every last weed from the Konoha education premises and was completely sedated by the last plucked root. They laid out on the grass, wiping beads of sweat from their brow, and staring up at the vast azure sky; hints of orange, pink, red could be seen on the horizon line, signifying the night to come.

Ena yawned loudly and closed her strained hazel-green eyes. "Man, I'm bushed. How 'bout we call it a day and head home?"

"The best idea you've had all day," Katone mocked, as ruthlessly as ever.

"Stupid monkeys…thinking they were better than me…I ought've shoved those icky banana peals right down their throats," Kiri thought outloud, grudging against the fact that she failed to exact harm on the primates.

Chuckling and getting to her feet, Ena brushed off the stray blades of grass from her clothes and said, "On that note, I think I'll head over to the assignment center and…"

She paused.

Her two kin were staring at her baffeledly, as if she were a being from another planet.

Quickly attempting to sort out the situation, the black-haired female shinobi stammered, "N-no! What I really mean is, um, I'm off to bed, cause I'm sooo tired and can barely summon an ounce of chakra! Yeah, that's right! I can barely stand!"

Raising their brows in suspicion, Katone and Kiri watched as their peculiar team mate as she waved goodbye and vanished into the heart of the village.

"Ena's acting weird again," Kiri commented, scowling.

"Shall we follow her?" Katone suggested

The fiery-eyed Kunoichi nodded slowly. "Let's."

...

The mission was extremely dangerous, it was A-rank. The target was an insane rogue Shinobi who has just recently wiped out an entire village--which had been populated with over 20 thousand people and ninja alike. He specialized in a technique called the "Bloody Death Jutsu", which, with the swipe of a hand, could slice up thirty people at once.

The curse mark was burning and Ena knew that she could let no distractions cloud her judgment tonight; she would have to kill swiftly, silently, and coldly.

Again, her target area was the cliché Koi Forest, that faced the northern part of the Konoha village. Her victim--preferably known as Kenju Goamon--was on the run from Anbu Black Ops from every village and heading towards Konohagakure; leading to his immediate termination.

Kenju's appearance was horrid: greasy, slicked back, dark hair, cold, vicious, yellow eyes, and stains of blood that caked his hands with evidence of his mass murdering. As Ena stared at his profile, it sent shivers down her spine. This man was like all of the rest: a cruel hearted monster with no appreciation for other human lives, despite his. And in difference to this, the black-haired Kunoichi vowed to punish him.

At the base of a tree with rotted roots, sat an ominous shadow of a person wheezing uncontrollably; he was out of breath from running for hundreds of miles, probably.

Ena gulped and stated, "Kenju Goamon, I presume?"

He said nothing and continued to struggle for breath.

"My name is Hatake Ena," she pursued. "I have come to end your miserable existence."

Kenju croaked and growled a coarse, "You have, have you?"

And without warning, he leaped up and flung over a dozen shuriken and kunai at the female Shinobi, following it up with senbon, or acupuncture needles, and a letter bomb.

Ena rapidly deflected all of the flying projectiles with her trusty lucky Kunai and barely made it out of the area in time to dodge the fiery explosion of the letter bomb. Before she could even take a breath, Kenju was all over her, trying to inflict his Bloody Death Jutsu upon her, all the while randomly attacking with a sharp katana he kept at his belt.

Frustrated with fighting such an equally skilled foe, he kick tripped the black-haired Kunoichi and aimed for her face. The blade of the sword just grazed her forehead as she bent backwards into a handstand and then backflipped out of range. A stream of blood trickled down from the cut and down the tip of her nose.

Kenju smiled. "I'm starting to like you more and more… especially the taste of your blood…" he licked the tainted katana. "… It's flavored with the sweet essence of strength and fear."

Gagging at the sight, Ena shot, "Sick bastard! That can be considered as sexual harassment, you know!"

The mass murderer chuckled. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"Not before I do you in first!" and as Ena performed the hand signals that would allow her to own the Chidori technique, an agonizing throb struck from her cursed bicep.

Falling to her knees, the strain grew more painful as the fang marks began to creep up her shoulder and dawn an unseemly string of tattoos on her skin. Her internal chakra flow was contracting and numbing her body into an immobile state.

Subsequently, two voices sounded from behind calling, "**Ena**!!"

Turning her head slightly, she gasped. Katone and Kiri were heading towards her, unknowing of the huge threat that Kenju held towards their well-being.

Forcing the pain back and enduring the curse mark, Ena unleashed the Sharingan eyes and screamed, "Don't come near here, you guys! This maniac will tear you to shreds! **STAY BACK, DAMMIT**!"

Ignorantly, their footsteps continued to come closer, all the while Kenju prepared himself for a blood bath of a feast. Having no choice, Ena, once again, tried the Chidori attack... and it succeeded. Her right hand began to spark violently and screech with the voices of a thousand birds.

Getting to her feet and charging forward, Ena cried, "**CHIDORI! TECHNIQUE OF ONE THOUSAND BIRDS**!"

But in her blind fury, her accuracy was left in vain and Kenju managed to dodge a fatal blow, and, instead, lost an arm in sacrifice. He gave an ear piercing scream, all the while lashing out at the black-haired Kunoichi, managing to effect a large "snap" from her left leg... he had broken it.

Ena stumbled backwards and landed hard on her back. She could not exert any more energy and her pain was becoming familiar to her.

Kenju was still writhing on the ground, coloring it with his crimson blood. He glared at Ena, who was barely conscious, and began to drag himself towards her, pulling out his katana from his belt. As he prepared to strike, vines crawled around his torso, holding him down, and from the shadows of the thicket came forth Ena's kin, with determination in their eyes.

"Hey didn't your mother ever teach you that it isn't fair to beat up on someone who's down for the count?" sneered Kiri, holding her hands in the "tori" or bird hand signal; it enabled her Kissing Rose Jutsu to remain in effect over long periods of time. What was her "Kissing Rose Jutsu"? Well it only allowed her to manipulate the plants around her, including the roots and vines, is all.

Katone snickered. "That was really lame, Kiri. I so don't know you."

The firey-eyed Kunoichi blushed sheepishly and stammered, "Sh-shut up! Now, how about we show this guy what happens when he messes with our squad?"

The Okinawi Candy shop heir smiled from ear to ear and began to dish out her signature Jutsu. "Art of confusion: Sweet Dreams Jutsu!"

And in a split second, Kenju's body was frozen, as if time and the universe had stopped revolving for him.

But as Kiri and Katone went to deal the death blow, a kunai whizzed passed their heads and struck the murderous ninja in the temple, undoing the two Kunoichi's jutsu and killing him instantly.

Ena had managed to remain perceptive in order to view this moment, and pursed her lips into a

strict line. "Uchiha-kun…" she growled

The raven-haired Genin made his entrance and sarcastically spat, "Who's undefeatable now, Ena? Seems to me like you're going to continue to lose your touch as long as you rely on others to come and save the day."

The assassinating female shinobi strainfully got to her feet and used the trunk of a tree for support. Blood continued to trail down from the wound on her forehead and her leg was swelling horribly. She truly was a mess.

"I don't need your help!" Ena yelled self-defensively. "And anyway, why were you here in the first place, Sasuke?! Better yet, why are you always around when I'm on my secret missions?!"

Kiri and Katone stood confusedly, not understanding what was going on. However by the fact that Ena did not use an honorific at the end of Sasuke's name and called him informally by his first meant that she was pretty ticked off and serious.

The lone wolf said nothing and walked over to the black-haired Kunoichi. He took her arm and slung it across his shoulder. He then clamped on to her opposite side and voila. A human crutch.

Fuming, she bellowed, "Answer me!"

Finally, Sasuke replied, "I'll tell you later, after you take care of your injuries."

"Ahem!" Katone stomped her foot, craving attention. "What about us? We want to know what's going on, too, right, Kiri?"

"Right," the braided shinobi nodded, a bit flustered by the presence of Sasuke.

Ena sighed, seeing how the gig was up. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you."

And as the four Genin marched through the Koi Forest under the semi-crescent moon, Ena told her story, all the while confessing about her handicap: the curse mark.

...

Unbeknownst, Kenju's body was slowly being devoured and a pair of slitted eyes glared at his patheticness.

"Sometimes," the owner of the eyes hissed, "you have to further your plan on your own terms…"

And as the behemoth of a snake continued to crunch on Kenju's bloodied corpse, its summoner shivered in great anticipation at the thought of how close he had been to Sasuke…how close he had been to making him his pawn

'It wasn't meant to be tonight…but very soon, my fangs **will** sink into one of the most prestigious shinobi of his time… His life shall be mine.'

...

**Do not patronize me... these deadly missions I must do on my own.**

The title is pretty self explanitory this time around... Ena didn't want her friends to fall into harm's way so she evaded them with lies... Well, up until now that is. Her secret's out... However, Sasuke is no different. ;3 Orochimaru has made his presence clear now, hasn't he?

Oh, and "Kenju Goamon"... haha, yeah about that... It's another name that I borrowed from someone I held a grudge against. However, that was back in middle school and I've always wanted to apologize to the real person for a while... Maybe someday. w'' (I hope.) I'd be nice to laugh with him about the "war" we had back in that day! lol

Well, enough of my ranting. Please review if you want. Next chapter is the beginning of a hard-core plot revelation! Whoot!


	7. Strange Shinobi:Request From Kirigakure

**NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain**

**© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Seven: "Strange Shinobi: The Request from the Land of the Mist…!" 

The following daybreak…

"Oh, Ena, how did you break your leg?" Sakura contemplated immediately at the sign of the crutches.

"Well, you're awfully chipper today," the black-haired Kunoichi spat, munching on her breakfast, which was a warm, fresh bread roll and a can of chilled peaches.

The rose-haired Genin shrugged and prodded, "So are you going to tell me or not?"

"Fine, I fell out of a tree," Ena said through a mouth full of food, clearly lying.

Sakura giggled, obviously amused by this response. "I guess even smart girls can be stupid."

Ena glared with an intense rage and turned away. She didn't need this pointless discrimination chat. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing, really," Sakura brushed a shock of pink locks from her intense green eyes. "I just wanted to know how you injured yourself. I mean, you are my new team mate, right? And team mates have to look out for each other."

The black-haired Shinobi wasn't buying this suck-up act and, instead, finished up her cold fruit, tossed her garbage in a nearby trash tote, and hopped away on her crutches.

'Man,' she thought, 'now I know how grateful I'll be from now on to have a pair of two strong legs! Getting around like this is so inconvenient!'

Later, Ena caught up with Katone and Kiri, who were gulping down some noodles at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar with Naruto.

"Ena," the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja started, all the while noisily slurping some pork broth, "I heard about how you broke your leg by falling out of a tree. At first I thought that was hilarious, but now I've realized that I've fallen out of plenty of trees to the point where I thought, 'Hey, one of these days, I'm going to break a leg, too!' I absolutely sympathize with you."

Sweat dropping, Ena gave a small chuckle at the blonde's whacky logic and sat down next to him. She accidentally applied too much pressure to her limb upon sitting down, and yelped from the pain. Everyone froze and waited on her for a response to see if she was okay.

The black-haired Kunoichi brushed them off and replied, "I'm fine."

Katone and Kiri sighed but Naruto continued his consumption of ramen as if nothing had happened.

Whispering, Ena said to her female kin, "I see you haven't told Uzumaki-Kun the truth."

Frowning, Kiri replied, "We didn't want to take a chance. Naruto's more than just a little obnoxious."

"Don't worry," Ena shook her head, "I figured as much, so I didn't tell Haruno-Chan, either. But have you seen Uchiha-Kun anywhere? I haven't seen him all this morning…"

Kiri and Katone shrugged and began to chatter about irrelevant topics.

Exhaling disappointedly, Ena's mind drifted, and the conversation from last night ran rampant in her head…

"_So why are you always sneaking around when I'm on business affairs?" the black-haired Kunoichi questioned bluntly, all the while wrapping bandages around her leg._

_Sasuke's eyes deepened as he lowly stated, "It has nothing to do with my own curiosity; Kakashi told me to watch over you."_

"_**Uncle Kakashi**__?!" Ena exasperated._

_The lone wolf nodded. "Ever since that night you were bit by that snake-like Shinobi, Kakashi has been unsure of your abilities and requested that I observe over your well being. It's actually been quite interesting…"_

_Fuming, Ena bellowed, "Then, if it was a request, why didn't you decline?!"_

"_Because," the prestigious ninja concluded, "a suffering man can't sleep at night without the moon keeping death's shadows at bay."_

That was the last time Ena saw Sasuke, and was hoping to thank him for his courteousness. Kakashi, on the other hand, was in for quite a quarrel; the black-haired Kunoichi did not appreciate his manipulative, yet overly concerned motive… But what was he thinking? Better yet, what was he interpreting by making Sasuke her guardian? What…

"Yo!" greeted an all too familiar voice.

The four Genin whirled and sighed. It was Kakashi-Sensei.

"Don't tell me--more chores, right?" Katone grumbled.

The silver-haired elite ninja leaned against the inner sidewall of the ramen bar and replied, "Naaw. It's Sunday. Why don't you take the day off? Besides, I'm bushed from my own work."

"Doing what?" Ena sneered. "Giving lazy orders to bystanders who shouldn't be invading one's privacy?"

This comment brought about a startled look on her Uncle's face. He turned away, flustered, and then began to lecture Naruto about eating too much ramen and not enough vegetables.

Ena felt his unsettled disposition and ended her rant at that. She couldn't bring herself to continue; that saddened face that Kakashi had given her the previous afternoon heavied her heart.

'It's horrible,' she thought, getting her crutches in an upward position. 'The one person who's looked after me when I was at my lowest has now become a suspicious stranger.'

Getting up, Ena informed, "I need some air," and headed off.

However, there was a loose strip from her tight boundings, and as she took about fifteen paces, she took note of the trail of white bandages snaking behind her.

"Dammit," Ena cussed, feeling a creep of fatigue overshadow her being.

But as she went to gather her bandages, a hand reached over her and did the task for her.

Looking up, Ena froze.

"U-Uchiha-kun," she studdered, "what're you…"

"Shut-up and let me help you," he shot.

Face burning up, Ena spat, "Well, if it's such a burden, why?_ Ouch_! Hey, that **hurt**!"

During her opposition, Sasuke had bound the bandage a bit too tight over her broken limb which resulted in her crying out. Wincing, but keeping her mouth shut, the black-haired Kunoichi allowed him to finish wrapping her wound. When he finished, Sasuke headed over to the ramen bar, where everyone else resided, but sat down at the farthest stool away from the others.

As Ena stared at him from her spot, that single thought returned to her: 'Maybe I'm an Uchiha…'

But as her mind returned from the depths of her imagination, that ridiculous wonderment vanished and reality set in.

However, she wished she could lose herself in revenue forever; life just seemed to breeze on by like the refreshing winds on a hot summer day.

...

As squads Seven and Thirteen began to bid their farewells, a pair of peculiar figures trotted towards them in the distance. Their faces were veiled by masks that bore the symbol of their roots, Kirigakure. From the looks of it, they were both female and about their age. Nevertheless, travelers from another land never meant good news…

Kakashi took a stand and shielded his pupils.

"What brings you two ladies to our fine village?" he asked.

"My friend 'ere is vistin' a family member," supplied the taller female, with trailing chestnut hair behind her mask. "I'm along t' make sure she doesn't get lost, if y' get what I'm say'n. It isn't that safe t' travel by one's lonesome now, is it? 'specially fer a girl."

Kakashi stood straighter and became somewhat like a towering gate between the vagabonds and the Genin. "What're your names?"

"I'm called Syrin," said the chestnut haired female.

"And I'm Risu," bowed the other, her long black ponytail flowing down her back.

"Right. But you know I can't just let you on through; I'll have to make sure you don't cause any trouble by personally escorting you to your destination and back," the silver-haired elite ninja informed as-a-matter-of-factly.

The two nodded. "That's fine."

Remembering his pupils, Kakashi turned to them and added, "You can all head off home. There's nothing else I have to say to you, for now. I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow."

"W-wait! I…" Ena started but then gradually lost her tone in voice. She stood in a silenced stupor in front of her uncle and the two mist ninja.

"Oh, my," Risu gasped. "Your leg… it's broken."

"H-huh? Uh, um, yeah, it is," the black-haired Kunoichi stammered.

Kneeling down, Risu gently unwound the bandages and pressed against the swollen skin.

Flustered, Ena went to stop her, but Kakashi grasped her shoulder in reassurance.

"It's all right," he noted. "Just watch."

Ena did and was astonished. With the simple performance of some moderately advanced hand signs, and a large flow of chakra, the cracked tissue in Ena's limb began to mend itself quickly and perfectly. In a time frame of about two minutes, the bone was completely healed and back to normal.

Wide-eyed, the black-haired Kunoichi looked to Risu with a gaze of respect and fear. "How did you…?"

"It was simple enough," the healer replied in a sweet voice. "Besides, you looked pained."

Kakashi nodded and turned to Ena. "I guess it's a good thing those two came by then, huh? I'll see you later."

With that, the elite ninja and two mist shinobi headed off in the orange sunset, which slowly descended into the west, drowning in a sea of darkness.

"I was going to say," Ena mumbled to herself, "that tomorrow I wanted to do that A-ranked mission with you. But I see that…"

She threw her crutches to the ground and turned around. Everyone had left already.

"… I see that you're always too preoccupied with something else."

And the female shinobi morosely stared down that lonely road towards her quarters, the nightly winds growing colder and colder…

...

As Ena lay in her four poster bed, the A-ranked assignment sheet glared her in the face.

Reaching for it, she read over the contents. "'Request from the land of the Mist: Please take notice of the no-expiration date in which the taker of this assignment may start at any time,' Hmm, that's fairly lax. 'The information towards the content to this mission will be given by the request-ees, shown at the bottom. They can be contacted at Genki- Itai, the sunshine-less village in the Land of the Mist--Kirigakure.' Now who are my clients?"

And then, Ena's hear skipped a beat.

"The-the request-ees are… **Narumi Risu** and **Akatsuni Syrin**?! Wh- what the hell is going on?!"

In a startled state, Ena crumpled up the paper and tossed it onto her desk table top.

She didn't believe in coincidents and what was happening now certainly wasn't going to convince her any further.

It seemed that the no-expiration date just suddenly turned up short…

...

**There is no coincidence in this world... There is only fate.**

And Risu and Syrin make their appearance! Finally... ;p I also want to remind everyone that Ena is NOT paired with Sasuke in this fic!! The last thing I want is for everyone to get the worng idea...=w= So yes, there really aren't any romantic scenes at all. Maybe some intimate scenes but nothing to gut-renchingly romantic. I can only remember having some sort of repressed attitude when writing this fic so long ago... I wonder what had been running through my mind? lol

Hey, waitaminute... isn't that bolded after thought something close to what Yuko-san in XXXHolic said?! Ha, ha, ha!! Guess there really isn't coincidences in this world! XD

Sorry the update took FOREVER... I promise to be more diligent!

On that note, please review, or just anticipate the next chapter whole-heartedly!


	8. Enter:Akatsuni Syrin and Narumi Risu

**NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN**

**© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Eight: "Enter: Narumi Risu and Akatsuni Syrin…!"

The moment Ena opened her eyes from the dawn sun she knew it was now or nothing. Risu and Syrin could have left Konohagakure for all she knew, but it was worth a shot.

'I've gotta find those two,' she thought. 'And they're gonna have to do a load of explaining when I get my hands on them…!'

It was true, seeing as how two mist Shinobi, no older than she, were the requestees of whom demanded the completion of an A-ranked mission. It was more than blasphemous--it was complete and utter madness.

Making herself presentable, Ena rushed out of her humble abode and started her search: atop roofs, down streets, through buildings, and finally around shops... but to no avail.

Sighing, the Kunoichi purchased an ice cream cone and slumped on a public bench.

"I've searched everywhere," she contemplated aloud. "But there's just no sign of them anywhere."

Abruptly, something fuzzy brushed against her cheek and made her squeal. However, there was no case for alarm, for it was only a miniscule rodent, preferably known as a squirrel.

Ena smiled half-heartedly and stroked the bushy-tailed mammal's warm fur. It gave a playful chirp and dove at the black-haired Kunoichi's ice cream.

"H-hey!" she exclaimed grabbing the squirrel by the tail. "That was mine, you little moocher! You only let me pet you for my snack!"

It made a sort of irritated face, as if it were saying, "Well, duh. Why else would I let you pet me?"

Sighing again, Ena threw the frozen treat aside and observed as the rodent dove for it, consuming it in a matter of mere moments. Licking itself clean, the squirrel climbed up the Kunoichi's back and onto her shoulder, giving another playful chirp.

"I'm not buying you another ice cream, you fuzzy rat," Ena informed, annoyed.

It shook its head and tickled her nose with its bushy tail.

"H-hey! Cut that out! Oh! Hold on a minute," the black-haired Kunoichi looked to the squirrel, realizing something. "Doesn't 'Risu' mean 'Squirrel' in Japanese?"

The squirrel gave a chortle and hopped down to the ground, landing on its hind legs. Watching in awe, Ena gasped as the small mammal erupted in an explosion of clouds. And from it appeared a semi-familiar shinobi, with jet-black hair in a pony tail, dark eyes hidden beneath a pair of sparkling glasses, and a graduate headband tied around her waist…only it didn't bear the mark of the leaf, but of a different village…

"Mist," Ena whispered under her breath. "So you really are…"

"Yes," the mist ninja smiled solemnly. "I am Narumi Risu. Did you enjoy my transformation technique?"

"I was beginning to wonder why a squirrel would be so friendly around me," Ena murmured darkly.

Risu continued to smile that same smile. "Yes… your hands have blood stained into their pores, giving them a putrid aroma. A normal human would not be able to notice that, but the smell is extremely strong towards the sensitive nose of an animal. Now I know, for sure, that you're the one we need to help complete our mission, Hatake Ena."

Her speech gave the black-haired Kunoichi a cold shiver down her spine. "And why would you need a killer like me? Whose blood-stained hands can only destroy and ruin?"

Risu's eyes slightly glinted a glare. "There is someone we need to… _rid of_ if we are to bring peace to our village once more…"

"What?" Ena questioned, not being able to interpret all that the mist Kunoichi had spouted.

"We'll talk about it later," she answered calmly. "However, we leave at the hour before sunrise... be ready to meet Syrin and I here, near the Koi forest with possessions at hand. If you choose to bring along some allies that's fine, but be forewarned: we could very well all perish for even attempting that which we are about to do... Good day to you, Hatake Ena."

With that, Risu quickly transported elsewhere in a puff of smoke, leaving Ena in her lonesome.

'What was I thinking with this mission?' she thought nervously. '"We could very well all perish…?' I don't like the sound of that... not one bit. But what choice do I have? I better go inform Uncle Kakashi so that he…'

And Ena paused, looking adamantly at the ground below her. She couldn't tell him about this... he would only decline and interfere like the sneak that he was…

'But maybe he will understand this time,' the Kunoichi added, all the while kicking a stone on the dirt path. 'I hope.'

...

"**No**," the silver-haired elite shinobi shot. "Absolutely not!"

"Wait a second, Uncle," Ena attempted her hand at a hasty compromise. "Maybe we could…"

He glared ravenous daggers. "My reason is solidified! You will not take this mission! Besides, even if I do attend with you, who knows when that damned curse mark will start acting up again! And when it does, we'll be in big trouble!"

"Just listen to me, Uncle!" Ena exclaimed, grabbing his sleeve.

He smacked her hand off coldly. "And enough with this 'Uncle' business! You are not a little girl anymore, Ena. You are a full-fledged shinobi and practically a young woman…It's time that you start acting it too…by, first, listening to your sensei's commands without question or doubt!"

Ena bit her lip, slicing the sensitive skin on accident and drawing a sliver of blood. She then harshly snapped, "I _hate_ you," and quickly dashed to her room.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his aching temples, and took a seat on the windowsill beside the kitchen table. "Forgive me, Ena," he whispered in a morose tone. "But this is the only way I can protect you."

...

'That's it,' the black-haired Kunoichi restlessly thought as she furiously packed her travel bag with all of her necessities. 'I can't trust him anymore... I'm on my own from now on. No more shackles and chains…I'm free to act on my own will!'

And in a flash, Ena ripped open her bedroom window and jumped out, landing perfectly on the pavement below, like a cat. She dashed through the chilled air of the Leaf Village, and slowed down as she approached its out skirts…Voices sounded in the distance, and every hair on Ena's body stood on end--they were the cheery and rambunctious voices of her friends…**all** of them.

"Ena! What're you doing out so late?" Naruto called out.

"And what about you?" Ena retorted, blaming herself for getting seen so easily.

"We were at the Katsu-Don shop!" he grinned goofily. "Tonight was the all-you-can-eat-Karaoke bash! We've been wolfing down Katsu-don and singing to folk songs for over five hours straight!"

"Except Sasuke," Sakura added as-a-matter-of-factly. "He's been a polite gentleman…right, Sasuke?"

The lone-wolf remained silent and stared hard at Ena. "Where are **you** going?"

'**Damn you**, Uchiha-kun,' she clenched her fists tightly.

"Yeah," Kiri popped up from behind Sasuke, "what's with all the gear?"

"Well," Ena sweat dropped, "I, er…"

It was Katone's turn at twenty questions. "Stammering equals mischief! What are you up to, Ena?"

And out of nowhere, a voice answered, "She's off on a mission with _us_ of course."

Everyone baffledly scanned the area for the intruders, but they didn't need to search for long; from the shadows of a patched up, brick buildings appeared two figures: Narumi Risu and…

"You must be Akatsuni Syrin-san," Ena said.

The chestnut-haired, brown-eyes mist Kunoichi nodded, "Correct."

"Hey!" Naruto obnoxiously intertwined, "What happened to that foreign accent of yours, huh? And what are you two up to, anyway? Whaddya mean that Ena's going on a mission with you?!"

Ena patted the excited blonde on the shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry I've got everything under control, Uzumaki-kun. She speaks the truth."

"But…!" he began, but stopped at the dead serious look on the assassinating shinobi's face.

Instead he asked, "Does Kakashi-sensei know?"

"Why does he need to know?" Ena growled, "I don't need him to give me a thumbs-up all of the time…I can take on this mission on my own!"

Katone and Kiri then nodded to each other and both gave Ena a good double-slap upside the head.

"W-what was that for?!" the black-haired Kunoichi exclaimed in pain.

"Fool!" Katone spat a bit too sarcastically, "You can't go on by yourself! We'll come, too!"

Kiri smiled sympathetically, feeling sorry for the slap. "Uh, huh. And Team Thirteen sticks together through thick and thin!"

Strangely, instead of scolding them, Ena found herself saying, "R-really? Are you sure?"

"Do we look sure to you?!" Katone bellowed.

Thus they did, with shining confidence in their eyes (literally sparkling), that made Ena chuckle lightly.

Sakura scowled. "But _we're_ not going!" she quickly looked from Naruto to Sasuke, "Right, guys?"

"Count me in, too, Ena! I won't let you have all the fun by going on a secret mission! Believe it!" Naruto stated loudly.

"I'm going too," Sasuke finally spoke, ending his words without a reason.

Sakura was more than just red in the face- she was downright pissed. "Wh-wh-what?! **NO**! You can't leave without Kakashi-sensei's permission! I-if you leave… If you leave, I'll tell him _myself_ about what you're doing!"

"Fine," Ena replied simply. "But if you do…I'll rip out your intestines and tie you to a tree with them, got it?"

The rose-haired Kunoichi shivered and gulped.

Giving in, she spouted weakly, "U-understood…But I'm coming, also!"

"Fine then," Ena shrugged, liking Sakura less and less. "Just don't slow us down."

Risu plastered on her automatic smile and said, "It's settled. All eight of us will leave in twenty minutes... so, those of you who need to, can hurry home, bid your farewells, and pack your things in that amount of time."

"Okay?" Syrin added sweetly.

The other five shinobi agreed and rushed back to their quarters for their personal items. Ena was left behind with the two mist ninja, and felt, suddenly, at unease with them.

"Hey," she decided to ask abruptly. "Why do you two want to leave at the hour before sunrise so badly?"

Risu was going to answer, but Syrin held up her hand as if saying, 'Allow me'. "'tis simple enough--I thought even a bright, powerful Kunoichi such as yourself would have figured it out, but oh, well."

"Well then what is it, already?!" Ena shot impatiently.

The chestnut-haired Kunoichi smirked at her. "Because… everyone knows that the darkest hour is before dawn--and that's the exact type of darkness that we'll need if we're going to hide our tracks from those who may be pursuing us."

Impolitely staring at the mist shinobi, Ena gulped, pondering once again, 'What was I thinking?"

...

**I am capable of making my own decisions.**

And thus does the plot begin to start as the journey begins for our group of Shinobi. A sudden thought as I revised this, is the fact that Ena said "I _hate_ you," after having a rather childish arguement with Kakashi. That was very stereotypical in my eyes...=w=

Speaking of stereotypical, here's the first piece of criticism I have received from SHE-san who said for Chapter One:

_"I realize you're probably too far into your story, but your oc character is the complete and cliche mary-sue. Besides that some of your transitions are a little weak and your descriptions too flamboyant at times, you need to fix that character. You need to give her more faults, more character weaknesses. She's already too Mary-sue to like. You're a good writer despite some bursts of mistakes here and there, but you're characters lack reality, quality, and many other things."_

Wow, and here I thought Ena was a trouble child... Well, it was only chapter one and Ena does have her killing sprees here and there... But since this is just the first "volume" of Ena's story, I say that she definately does obtain weakness. [This story is already completed and saved onto my computer for those of you who think I'm just typing this on the fly.] She becomes weaker, actually, and over-thinks everything. But since this is _still _the first volume in Ena's fanfiction Naruto saga, she will be a strong heroine ;3. So forgive me SHE-san, and anyone who is anti-Mary-Sue. But if you have any other problems, please just send me a message at:

edsbestfriend_15[at]edwardelric[dot]zzn[dot]com

Just fill in the appropriate terms in the parenthesis, and it should all be good from there on out.

That said, next chapter will be coming at you soon... 'till then review please! ;3


	9. The Road to Dawn:Unexpected Revelation

**NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN**

**© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Nine: "The Road to Dawn: An Unexpected Revelation…!" 

The darkness was so thick, Ena swore that she could've just cut a slice of it with her kunai. She and the other seven Shinobi were now blindly venturing through a shadow filled thicket, beyond the Koi forest--they were now on foreign land.

"Risu-san," Ena said, "when will you explain the details about this mission?"

"Soon," she replied, saying nothing more.

After walking until what seemed like forever, the sun finally arose, and the young ninja found themselves in a grassy field.

"How about a short break?" Syrin suggested.

"Sounds great," Ena nodded, grateful at the fitting recommendation.

As they all sat and relaxed on the soft, yet course, grass, Risu began her story.

"We are from the unfortunate village of Genki-Itai, in Kirigakure, where, for some reason, the rain is relentless."

"'Relentless'?" Naruto raised a brow.

"Yes," Risu continued, "the rain it…it _never_ stops."

"What…?" Kiri gasped. "B-but how can that be? That's…"

"Impossible?" Risu interrupted. "It may seem so but it is all very true. Our skies haven't seen sunlight in almost ten years…"

"Haven't your people tried to fix this horrible conspiracy?" Katone asked, curious.

For the first time, Risu's expression faded and became dull and lucid. "Our people have done everything in their power to try and stop it…but all have failed. And after all of those downfalls, it became useless to even try to encourage them…for you cannot lift the clouds from the hearts of those who can never see a blue sky."

"That's," Sakura paused as she looked dolefully into her lap, "too sad."

"That doesn't even begin to describe it," Syrin took over. "Morning, noon, evening, night--some younger children have never even seen so much as the parting of clouds. And it's all because of _that_ monster."

"Who?" Ena edged.

"'The Sea Demon'," Syrin hissed in a vile tone. "Or better yet, a man known as Umiya Kairyu. He suddenly just stormed into our village and took over…and that's when the rain started."

"But how do you know it's this 'Umiya Kairyu' that's causing the rain?" Sasuke spouted. "Just because the rain became unending when he arrived, it doesn't mean that he's the convict."

"Oh, but he is," Risu broke in. "All because of a water route he is creating."

"A water route? Like a transportation canal?" Sakura questioned.

"Exactly. And it's taken this long to perfect it, despite how half of our village is now underwater and in ruins from all of that rain fall." Syrin answered.

It then all clicked into Ena's mind and resulted in her next statement. "So he's doing all this for money?!"

Syrin and Risu were in a downhearted silence.

"That is the reason isn't it? What a sick bastard!" the black-haired Kunoichi raged. "And I guess our mission is to kill him and stop the rain, right? But I still don't see how this is an A-ranked assignment…"

Everyone except Ena, Risu, and Syrin gasped in shock, exclaiming, "**A-RANK**?!"

"Yes," Risu nodded solemnly. "And there can be no declines now that it has been accepted by all of you."

Ena felt glares from all of her teammates as this information set in.

"As for the reason it's A-Rank," Risu continued, "it's because that Umiya Kairyu is heavily guarded by some of the best mercenary Shinobi in all of the Land of Mist…And that it'll prove to be extremely difficult to infiltrate his mansion, get through his guards, and, hopefully, destroy him and stop the rain once and for all."

"I see," Ena smiled glumly at herself. "But I have only one request that I require from everyone."

"Go on," Syrin tempted.

"If anyone perishes," the black-haired Kunoichi hid her expressions beneath her falling bangs, "I'll take full responsibility."

Katone and Kiri froze, Naruto's eyes widened, Sakura covered her mouth with her hands, Sasuke remained unchanged, and the two mist Shinobi shook their heads in opposition.

"No," Ena persisted, "I will truly take all of the blame for any casualty… it is my fault, after all, that I got you lot mixed up in all of this."

"Ena…" Katone and Kiri started but fell into an unbreakable silence.

Naruto stood up and gave a sickened growl. "How can you say that?! If any of us die it'll be our own damn faults, got it?! You shouldn't be the bearer of all the pain, Ena! And I'll have no choice but to loath you if you choose to be a scape goat!"

"Uzumaki-kun…" Ena muttered, captivated by his lecture.

Sakura, unexpectedly, agreed. "He's right you know…we joined this mission together through our own free wills. (Well, _some_ of us…) And you shouldn't hold that type of responsibility."

"Yeah!" Katone blurted. "All for one and one for all!"

"Besides, none of us will die... We're too amazing!" Kiri chuckled lightly.

"As you can see, we can't help but disagree with you Ena," Risu plainly put.

The black-haired Kunoichi blushed from all of the trust that she had from the others. "You guys…"

"Now enough of this!" Naruto shouted bluntly. "What's done is done here and there's no turning back! Let's hurry and get to Genki-Itai so that we can complete this assignment in no time!"

Feeling her esteem rise once again Ena nodded and exclaimed, "Yes! Let's prove that even mere Genin can make a difference! Let's see through this A-ranked mission!"

And so the eight Shinobi continued down the winding path to the village of pain and happiness, the confidence in their souls rejuvenated and burning brightly.

...

**The village of Pain and Happiness--where the falling rain never stops.**

"Genki-Itai" literally translates in English to "Good health and bad health". This name had actually been in my mind for sometime, and I had been dying to use it somewhere...=w=;; So "Why not put it into my Naruto fic?" I thought. (I think it was a fitting idea) Also, the antagonist to this story, "Umiya Kairyu", translates to "Dark Sea Water Dragon". He's the so called "demon" who causes the endless rain in Genki-Itai, so I thought the name was most appropriate.

Ah, I apologize for all of these late updates, including my FFVII fic, L o y a l S O L D I E R. I've been sick and ambushed with work, but now that I have an extra day off, I hastily got to work on updating.

Now for my next enemy: _mid-terms_...TAT;;

Thus, please review for the next chapter... more exciting things await you!!


	10. Side Tracked: Naruto Messes Up

**NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN**

**© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Ten: "Side Tracked: The Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Messes Up...!"

In total contrast to the complete darkness from not too long ago, the noon sun was beaming vividly, scorching the ninjas' necks with its burning rays.

"It's **so** hot," Naruto began to whine. "I wish we could take a break in the shade..."

"What happened to your whole, _oh, let's hurry and get to Genki-Itai a.s.a.p. _speech?" Sakura retorted.

"Aren't **you** hot?!" the blonde exclaimed, almost desperately.

"Naruto-kun, is it?" Risu turned to him. "Your heat exhaustion shall end soon; we're a few paces to a river bank."

"How are you so sure?" Katone asked, understanding Naruto's pain.

"I hear the rushing water of some rapids," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi informed.

Everyone grew silent so that they too could listen to the water's music.

Naruto pouted. "I don't hear anything!"

Syrin laughed merrily. "You shouldn't. It's normal. Risu has a _special_ talent... She has something close to enhightened senses."

"Much like an animal, no?" Risu winked to Ena, making her statement somewhat of an inside joke.

The black-haired Kunoichi gave a crooked smile and then clumsily tripped over a tree root in the road. Crying out, she fell forward and instinctively latched on to something closest to her, saving her from stumbilng any further.

"Whew," she sighed, relieved. "That was a close one."

Looking up at what saved her fall, she jerked awkwardly. It was Sasuke, and Ena had yet to detach herself from his shirt.

"Glad I could help--but **get off**," he snapped.

"S-sorry," the black-haired Kunoichi apologized, all the while releasing Sasuke from her grip.

This was followed by a chipper giggle from Katone, Risu, and Syrin, a sigh from Naruto, a growl from Sakura, and a deep crimson blush from Kiri.

Resuming their normal pace, Sakura walked next to Ena and whispered, "_Don't start getting any __**funny**__ ideas; he's __**mine**_."

She then dashed off ahead, up to Sasuke, and dropped her travel bag on purpose. The lone wolf exhaled and picked it up for her.

Feeling totally offended, Ena let her thoughts get the best of her. 'Why would I want Uchiha-kun in the first place? He's _so_... I dunno. But if what Sakura wants is a fight, then hell, that's what she's gonna get...'

"Hey, look!" Naruto blurted happily. "There's the river!"

And so it was. Jumping up in joy, the blonde quickly stripped down to his pair of black boxer shorts, and dove into the water. Splashing about, Naruto was finally at ease from the sun's wrath.

"I guess we should take a lunch break then," Risu nodded to Syrin.

"Oh! I brought lotsa candy from my family's candy shop!" Katone exclaimed, pulling out three whole obese paper totes from her pack.

"I've got some rice cookies," Kiri added.

"And I have some onigiri," Ena finally adjoined.

"Perfect," Syrin clapped. "And we have matches, fresh water, and packets of orange blossom tea--what a nice lunch this will be!"

"Heh, that rhymed," Kiri chuckled. "I'll help collect firewood for the tea."

"Me, too!" Katone declared, following her comrad into the brush.

Taking in her surroundings, Ena glanced around the area from atop a tree branch. "Seems safe enough."

And along the river's bank did she view Sakura attempting to captivate Sasuke's heart...

And miserably failing.

The black-haired Kunoichi impishly snickered. "Too bad."

Meanwhile, Naruto was drifting aimlessly along the river, eyes closed in relaxation. "This is the life! These A-ranked missions are great!"

And then Ena realized it. "**Uzumaki-kun**!!"

"What?" he yelled back, eyes still shut.

"**Open your eyes**!!"

He did as he was told, and wish he hadn't--for he was headed straight for a nasty spread of rapids. Screaming out in alarm, Naruto tried to swim back to the calm waters but was literally sucked in by the rapids, sending him flailing down the river.

"**UZUMAKI-KUN**!!!" Ena panicked, jumping down from her tree and rushing to the blonde's aid.

"Ena, what's wrong?" Risu questioned, while taking the piles of firewood from Katone and Kiri.

"Uzumaki-kun got carried away by the current!" she informed hastily.

"Oh, my... That's not good," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi gasped. "The river leads to a waterfall at about ten meters down south!"

Ena gulped. "Then we have to hurry! C'mon!"

All running to save Naruto, Katone sarcastically spouted, "So much for that nice lunch..."

"We'll be lucky if we can even catch Naruto before he ends up sleeping with the fishes! There's no time to think about lunch!!" Kiri proclaimed.

Sakura and Sasuke were coming up close behind.

"What happened?!" Sakura asked, projecting her voice so that the others could hear.

"Naruto's headed for a waterfall!" Katone answered almost excitedly.

At that moment, Sasuke leapt forward and swiftly hopped from tree to tree, scanning for any sight of the blonde.

"He's holding onto a boulder in the middle of the rapids!" the lone wolf confirmed.

"Got it!" Ena announced, picking up the pace.

She searched for a boulder and finally, after a few moments, viewed one in the distance. Naruto was, in fact, holding on for dear life but was slowly losing grip.

"Hang in there, Uzumaki-kun!" and right before Ena was about to dive in herself, she reconsidered her actions. Thus, she began to dig through her travel bag and searched for a kunai and some rope. Pulling them out, she tied a knot in the handle of the kunai knife, and tied the other end of the rope to a sturdy tree limb, hoping for the best.

'Here goes nothing!' Ena thought, shouting out, "Uzumaki-kun, **catch**!!" and she thrust the kunai his way.

It almost missed and faultered into the rapids, but Naruto made a lucky save and securely latched onto the safety line.

Sighing alleviatedly, the blonde started his way back to solid ground by pulling himself forward with the rope. However, it began to fringe under all of the pressure...

Ena cursed under her breath and sent some chakra through the rope, allowing some reinforcement to keep it from snapping. And after a nerve-recking 10 minutes, the hyperactive hijinks was, at last, rescued from the expeditious clutches of the river.

He coughed up what seemed like a fourth of its water, and sputtered a grateful, "Th-thank you, Ena."

"No problem. But I've got to hand it to you, Uzumaki-kun, you certainly do know how to draw attention to yourself!" smiled the black-haired Kunoichi.

Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and sneezed out a thundering sneeze.

"C'mon, we'll get a fire started to warm you up. Besides, everyone is worried sick about you!" Ena said.

And the two of them walked back to the "camp" site, a pair of hungry eyes watching them voraciously from within the obscene brush...

...

"**Narutoooo**!!!" Sakura roared. "You **idiot**! Don't **EVER** do that again!"

"Ha! Yeah, Naruto, you need to watch what you're doing!" Katone added.

The blonde grumbled from underneath his wool blanket, all the while scootching closer to the fire.

"The water's boiling!" Kiri squeaked, Risu rushing over with some cups and tea packets.

"Hey," Ena suddenly recalled a contemplation she had been forgetting to inquiring, "did you two really come to Konohagakure just to find me, or had you been intending to visit a relative like you said?"

"Both," Risu plainly replied. "My Nii-san lives in Konoha and is a regular denizen... He just chose to live there on his own one day and has been there for about four years."

"Really?" Ena's eyes widened in interest. "What's your brother's name, Risu-san?"

"Kabuto. But his family name is different from mine since his father divorced our mother, and she then remarried while having me. Thus, I took on the Narumi name."

"I see.. that's kind of complicated. What was your brother hoping to achieve by moving to Konoha?" Ena questioned further.

"That," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi started, "I do not know. In fact, Nii-san wasn't even at his home at the time I visited, so I wasn't even able to see him."

"That's sad."

"Yes," Risu gave that signature involuntary smile, "but I just hope that he is in good health. Nii-san hasn't been himself--or so I've heard from other relatives--and that worries me."

Ena found herself patting the bespeckled mist Kunoichi on the shoulder in assuredness. "I bet he is, Risu-san. You might not see eachother a lot, but I'm sure Kabuto-san thinks of you every now and then as well!"

Risu nodded and seemed chipper at the thought. She then quietly sipped her tea and dozed off.

Ena sighed in content, all the while drinking her own sweet, herbal beverage. 'It must be nice to have siblings... But what about my cousin? Where is he...? Or could it even be a she? I have no clue, yet... It warms my soul to even possibly think that I have a single trace of my blood out there. Yeah. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow... but someday, we'll meet. I just know it."

...

**Despite the complicated ties, a family is a wonderful thing to have.**

(Fwaah, my midterms are almost all over, but since I had the day off, I decided to update. ;3)

This chapter was mostly filler, but I had wanted to do something silly like this. I also think at the time of this fic's initial planning, I had wanted to put a scene where Naruto, being the oblivious and reckless ninja he is, plummets down some rapids and to his impending doom that is a waterfall. X'D (Forgive me, Naruto!) Katone's cynicism leaked out too... She was actually excited that Naruto was in danger! And Risu's emotions got across too. (Which isn't a likely occurance. Because she's kinda like "...a robot battle maid!" in my friend Neku's words. lol)

Eh, enough ranting. Next time, there's a battle! (whoooot) And more plot will be revealed!

So until then...

**REVIEW**!! Or just keep reading at least! ;3


	11. Peculiar Shinobi:To Kill, Or Not To Kill

**NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN**

****

© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto

Scroll Eleven: "A Peculiar Ninja Attacks: To Kill, Or Not To Kill…?!"

The night steadily emerged into the sky, and from its darkness ascended a waxing moon that hovered over the slumbering figures of the eight shinobi. Ena, however, was up and aroused; her mind in a hapless, deviating spiral. She wasn't the only one, though…

A splash sounded and Ena shot up in prehension, vigorously looking around for an intruder. Notwithstanding, it was only Naruto, who was dipping his feet in the shallow end of the river.

Approaching him slowly, the black-haired Kunoichi snuck up behind him and whispered, "Can't sleep?"

He shook his head. "Nope. How can I? I'm too excited for this mission!"

Sitting to his left, Ena said, "But you know, it's not all fun and games. This is going to be real time danger and combat--are you sure you're up for it?"

Ramming his fists on his chest like a gorilla, the blonde snorted and exclaimed, "You bet!! Beware, all of you third-rate shinobi out there, Uzumaki Naruto is gonna kick **all** of your asses!"

"Ha, ha, ha! You weirdo!" Ena laughed merrily. "But I have to ask…are you good at keeping secrets?"

"Huh?" Naruto raised a brow in speculation.

Subsequently, in the midst of their conversation, a windmill shuriken whizzed past their noses, only a millimeter away from impact. Hearts racing, Ena and the blonde stood up, clawing for weapons from their packs and hoisters.

A figure stepped into view and remained concealed in the shadows of the night.

"**Who are you**?!" Naruto screamed.

Stepping back a pace, Ena hissed, "Get back, Uzumaki-kun."

"Wha--?"

"**NOW**!" and the black-haired Kunoichi pushed him out of the way, charging towards the intruder. She got close enough to examine his personal features, but was disappointed to find out that he was completely concealed by a hood and wore a ninja mask over his mouth, making only his dark eyes visible.

"Ena!" Naruto called out, confused of what his actions should be.

"Go wake the others! I'll hold this guy off!" she ordered, readying her trusty kunai that had dealt over one hundred deadly blows.

He nodded and sprinted off, the mystery man preparing to follow, but Ena blocked his path.

"You're **my** opponent!" she informed, taking a slice at his face.

He stylishly dodged, and retorted with a raid of hand signs.

"Oh, no... I won't let you use any jutsu!" Ena sneered as she head butt him in the gut, causing him to addle in pain.

Taking this moment to her advantage, she slipped out several shuriken and thrust them forward, pinning down the peculiar ninja's clothing to a tree trunk, leaving him immobile.

And as she felt triumphant, a cold, hissing voice whispered to her from within...

_Finish him._

Wincing in pain, Ena's curse mark was burning from beneath the icy metal of her headband.

__

Do it.

Demanded the voice.

__

Kill him! Prove your worthiness and **kill** him!

And as if a deus was controlling her as a marionette, the black-haired Kunoichi's eyes shifted to that of the sharingan without question, and a wicked smirk found itself on her lips. She took out her kunai, again, and slowly walked towards the pinned shinobi.

He remained motionless, as if he suspected as much from his opponent. Ena quickly attacked and stabbed her opponent in the chest, only to witness that it was a doppelganger. Turning around immediately, she was propelled backwards by a thrusting punch from the real mystery ninja.

Still acting out of her will, the possessed Kunoichi dished out a range of hand signs and released her fire style jutsu. "The art of fire! Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

And in a span of less than a second, Ena released a stream of trailing crimson flames from her mouth, smothering everything in her way. It seems to have been effective, though, because the hood, in which her opponent kept up, lit aflame, and caused the ninja to remove his cloak and mask, revealing his identity.

At the same time, Naruto arrived with the others, who were ready for combat.

However, Risu was stiff, trembling, eyes widened in horror as she spouted, "_N-Nii-san_?"

At that moment, Ena awoke from her trance and shuddered, "Your…_brother_?"

Gulping dry air, the black-haired Kunoichi took note of his physical features.

He had light, shaggy hair, almost like Kakashi's, but in a pony tail, and a rather slim build. After realizing that his identity had been revealed, he then slipped on a pair of thinly rimmed glasses and placed them over his dark eyes.

_This_ was Kabuto… Risu's older brother. And even though they looked nothing alike, one could easily sense the strong kinmanship between them.

"Nii-san," Risu gasped, approaching him, "Why are you doing this? Why are you…"

Then he fled. Kabuto had given his sister a sympathetic look with, yet, a hint of disgust, and vanished into the heart of the forest.

Silence engulfed them all until Naruto shouted, "What the hell was **that** all about?!"

"Naruto, _shut up_," Sakura shot sternly.

"He has a point, though… What just happened here?" Katone folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah… H-hey! E-Ena?!" Kiri jerked awkwardly in alarm as she looked at Ena's right arm from the bicep down.

It was covered in peculiar tattoos...

All staring at her, the black-haired Kunoichi spoke not a word and then passed out.

That sickening voice then echoed in her head once more...

__

Do my bidding, Ena. You shall **kill** for me… you shall **live** for me… For the more you destroy, the **stronger** you become. And as your strength increases, so does your chance of our reunion. So, until then, Kill. Kill and enjoy the blood baths that you shall create. Kill…

**Kill.**

...

****

Malicious forces are at work, and trust is broken.

Fwaah, finally. It's done. This chapter I had to actually edit **a lot**. The original was too choppily written and it would've been a disgrace to upload such a thing...! Anyway, this chapter begins Ena's hellish experience with the Curse Mark. There's the future chapter approaching of which my friends and fans, who have read the hard copy, like to call "_The Brains Chapter_"...X'D I will not reveal any more than that because I'm SPOILER free...

(Most of the time. ;3)

Ah, to get off topic, Midterms went over peacefully, but my computer has been acting up all week...!!! I wish myself luck on getting the rest of this saga uploaded... same for my other fanfics as well. (Please check out my rather popular Final Fantasy VII fic, "L o y a l S O L D I E R" as well!)

So please review for the next one! And see you soon!

__

SPECIAL THANKS:

Kaishun2 a.k.a. Caz/Reno-kun! I'm glad you read and enjoy my stuff! ^^ Please continue to support me, and I promise to continue to try my hardest!


	12. Blank Stares:A New Setting To Look At

**NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN**

**© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto**

Scroll Twelve: "Blank Stares: A New Setting To Look At…!"

While Ena was unconscious, a vicious hissing noise was coming from deep within her. She didn't know what was happening, or who the hissing emitted from, so she spoke.

"Who's in my mind?"

_T'is I, the one who gave you the curse mark._

Rasped the intruder.

"You bastard! Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

_That I cannot do._

"And why not?!" Ena retorted sharply.

_You lust the thrill of killing._

The voice informed.

_And as long as I can feel it in you... the __**need**__ to kill... the curse mark, and I, shall remain_.

"That's not true! I don't want to kill… I just have to--it's my **duty**! How else can I protect everyone else?! It's kill or be killed!"

_And you enjoy it._

"No! You can't assume that!"

_I can… __**because it's true**__._

And at that moment, Ena shot up in a furious shock and bellowed a fierce, "**SHUT UP**!!!", alarming everyone around her.

Katone and Kiri were frozen in their respective places, Sakura was clamped onto a disturbed Sasuke, Risu and Syrin were trying hard to relax their unsettled faces, and Naruto was wide-eyed. At the look of their dazzled dispositions, Ena wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and clamped her lips tightly together, afraid that she might blurt out something unintentionally again. She began to fold the sleeping bag she had been laying upon, and placed in inside the bag it had belonged to--Sasuke.

She handed it to him, and Sakura, who was still fastened to his left forearm, jerked backwards as the black-haired Kunoichi approached them.

"Sorry," Ena mumbled weakly, "I guess I've just been feeling a bit anemic… But now that I'm better, we should head for Genki-Itai, we're getting behind schedule as it is."

No one said anything, but they eventually all shook off their perplexed temperaments, and began walking.

'It's funny,' Ena smiled contemptly to herself. 'At first, all they could do was stare at me, but now they refuse to even give me a passing glance…this trip is turning out to be a complete _disaster_... for _me_, that is.'

And as Ena was dousing herself in her own woes, Sakura asked a series of endless questions to the requestees.

"So," the rose-haired Kunoichi bluntly started, "give us a little more info on this _Sea Demon_ guy, er, Umiya Kairyu…Because us leaf ninja haven't got a clue about him, besides the fact that he's killing off your village."

Syrin dug into her pockets and pulled out a small photo of an elderly looking man, about in his late fifties, with gleaming green eyes, and icky, greasy-looking black hair, slicked back in a coif. She gave it to Sakura who passed it around.

"Umiya Kairyu is on the verge of becoming a multi-millionaire by the signing of a contract in which demands the creation of a purchasable canal. He may look like a legitimate businessman, but in all truths, he's a vile, murderous criminal who employs assassins and teams of shinobi to do his dirty work.

"He's started his ruthless empire of drugs and contraband by taking over our village... and who knows, if he makes enough cash, he might buy out the _whole_ country. That sick-o lives by every low and vicious trade known to man.

"It was just four years ago that Kairyu set his sights on Genki-Itai. He came under the guise of a business venture, but that's when the violence began, and in no time at all, he'd taken over our whole village. He had a stronghold built by our people, and when its completion drew near, the rain clouds poisoned our once sunny skies, and showered down ever since.

"Slowly, and if not more rapidly, Kairyu is sucking the lifeblood of our village, and as soon as you know it, Genki-Itai will be completely engulfed by water. But not only is it receding in land, but all of our prosperities--money and crops--are decreasing as well. And if we don't hurry, all will be lost. Risu and I do our best to rebel against this tyranny, but it's difficult since everyone else is afraid, and will not help. Money for our families is also a problem, but using what we had left, we posted our mission on the Konoha boards and here we are now."

Sakura, Sasuke, Katone, and Kiri nodded, following every word and piece of information. Naruto, on the other hand, was doing his best to keep up. However, Ena was falling behind, her bicep aching with every step she took. The tattoos weren't spreading but the pain was just as bad.

"G-guys," she croaked. "Wait up..."

But they didn't seem to hear for their voices were dying into the distance.

"HEY!" Ena screamed, regretting it, for the mark throbbed and caused her to falter to her knees.

'This _sucks_,' she thought. 'Maybe…maybe they'd be better off without me…'

Suddenly a hand stuck out in front of her face, and the black-haired Kunoichi looked up.

Naruto was beaming down at her, with that goofy grin of his.

"C'mon Ena!" he said, "we can't go without you now, can we?"

Ena blushed a light pink. "Uzumaki-kun…"

"Besides," the blonde added, "I owe you one for the river incident."

Taking his hand, she got to her feet and smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks, Uzumaki-kun. I needed that. But can you tell me something?"

"Sure," he nodded.

"Why was everyone looking at me with such fear?" Ena asked lowly.

Naruto's bright and chipper face darkened. "Because… you were moaning in you sleep…and…"

"And what?!" Ena exclaimed, eager to know more.

"And _hissing_," the blonde shivered.

That's when the horrible truth dawned on the black-haired Kunoichi--she was slowly becoming like _him_… slowly becoming the thing that she has been soughting to destroy.

Along the horizon, the fog was thickening, and a black silhouette was forming…

"There it is," Risu whispered, "Genki-Itai."

Naruto began to sprint ahead. "Awright! Finally! I was beginning to get sick of staring at stupid trees all day! Gotta love the change in scenery! I'm gonna go scope it out!"

"Naruto, wait!" Risu warned, but it was too late.

The hyperactive knucklehead ran headfirst into the fog and vanished in an instant. The last sound he made was a hurtling scream and then a large "splash."

Risu shook her head in empathy, and Syrin chuckled lightly. "Risu warned you, Naruto. You should've looked before you leapt… into the water, I mean."

Sasuke and Sakura reluctantly went to aid their obnoxious teammate, while Katone and Kiri apologized to Ena.

"Sorry," Katone spouted sheepishly.

"Same here," Kiri piped.

Ena tilted her head in question. "What for?"

"For ignoring you during your time of need! You were moaning and suffering and we just sat back and watched!" the candy shop heir cried.

"Yes… we're horrible friends! But if you could just reach deep down into you soul and forgive us…?!" Kiri sobbed.

Ena laughed until tears formed at the side of her eye lids. "Of course I forgive you! Plus, it's not your fault. This curse mark is driving me up the wall! So no hard feelings, 'kay?"

Both Kunoichi agreed and hugged their other member, hollering, "TEAM 13 FOREVER!" and then sweatdropping at their childish antics.

Later, the group of young shinobi reached the outskirts of Genki-Itai in awe. Only the tops of buildings were visible, and small, dinky, bridges allowed passage… But the biggest jaw dropper of it all was the height of the water and everything that was submerged within it...

Homes... shops... fish... and _bones_… And it only increased as the relentless rain added to it all.

Ena mouthed a silent "wow" and whispered, "I know it might be horrible but this is an amazing sight…"

"Yes," Risu exhaled sadly, "but all true terrors are blinded by beauty."

...

**I'm becoming the very thing I want to destroy... I'm becoming a **_**monster**_**.**

I've always liked this chapter best, for the fact that Ena's weakness comes to light--_she hates being alone_. (Even though she has always, somewhat, been alone.) And the fact that her comrads cannot hear her pleas and stare at her strangely gives Ena insecurities and a slight self-conscious attitude. More of Ena's weaknesses come to play later, however, especially in the Shippuden spin-off I finished up last year. But there's always room for a character to improve, I think. Though I have to admit that, over time, Ena's character has gotten weak!! She's become more human, and less shinobi like... (I wonder if that's a good or bad thing??)

So that's it for this week... maybe. I have Spring Break numero uno these next 7 days, so I might update more! Therefore, please stay tuned and review, everyone!


End file.
